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Therapy/Counselling

I am delighted to announce that from this Summer (2025) I will be offering 1 to 1 therapy/counselling appointments. As a qualified pluralistic therapist, I work collaboratively with my clients to use approaches that work best for them. I can draw on a number of modalities and creative techniques, and I have been using photography as a tool with clients to great effect.

Being based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, I can meet clients face to face in Banchory where I have a meeting room, but I am also skilled at working online, and welcome clients from out with the area (and international clients). I am registered and insured and have included information on my web site about qualifications.

For more information, please visit https://therapeuticphotography.uk/therapy-counselling/

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Symposium in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya

From the 10th to the 13th June, 2024, I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at a symposium looking at community based organisations and best practice. Megan Ribbens and I hosted day 3 of the event where the focus was on using creativity and creative approaches to overcoming challenges. Amongst the presentations, we explored the use of photography as a tool for empowerment and advocacy, as well as self discovery.

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2nd International Therapeutic Photography Symposium 2024 is over :( but you can revisit all the presentations…and more!

This is some of the feedback we received after the event. Such a fantastic response to this sell out evening. You can visit this link to watch a recording of the symposium, the individual presentations, and the additional Fringe Event recordings.

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Countdown to the 2nd International Therapeutic Photography Symposium 2024…and a pre symposium treat!

This Friday the 26th April I will be hosting the 2nd International Therapeutic Photography Symposium with my friend and co-therapeutic photographer, Ruth Davey. We have some fantastic presentations for you on at the event which will also be recorded and made available on YouTube for free afterwards. We had a large number of submissions to present and, alas, we could not accept everyone, so we asked a select few to record presentations for us to present outwith the symposium…a kind of Fringe event 🙂

I am delighted to present the first of these Fringe presentations to you. I would like to introduce Rosalinda Chaves from DESPHOCO in Portugal. Rosalinda is a clinical and health psychologist and presents her latest therapeutic photography project. Enjoy!

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Arts & Creativity for Health and Wellness Festival

I’m sharing the information below for anyone who might be interested in attending this great event which is being run by the very talented Alison Beaumont, a recent graduate from RGU’s Therapeutic Photography course.

🎨✨ Join Us for the Arts & Creativity for Health & Wellness Festival! ✨🎵

Unleash your creativity and discover the healing power of the arts! 🌟

📅 Date: April 20th & 27th
⏰ Time: 11am – 2pm EST/8am – 11am PST

I am so very proud to invite followers, friends and folks from all over the world to an upcoming art festival hosted online. I will be offering a Wellness Photography session on April 20th. Watch for more posts. All the deets below ⬇️

Are you ready to explore the transformative impact of creativity on your health and wellness journey? 🌿 The Americas+ Team from the Global @artsinmedicinefellowship invites you to join us for two unforgettable days filled with immersive artistic experiences.

🎭 Dive into a world of creativity and discover activities including:
🖌️ Art
🧘‍♂️ Meditation
📸 Photography
🎶 Music
🌀 Mandalas
💃 Dance
📝 Writing
…and more!

Whether you’re looking to unleash your inner artist or simply seeking a moment of self-care, our festival offers something for everyone. Join us for one day or both, and invite your friends and family to join in on the fun! 🌈

Ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery and wellness through the arts? Reserve your spot today and share the joy of creativity with others! 🎉

REGISTER AT: https://bit.ly/43S54vK

Upon registration, you will receive an email with the Zoom link that will be the same for both days. Stay tuned for the full festival schedule with descriptions of the sessions. For questions, please email gaimfamericas@gmail.com.

ArtsForWellness #CreativityMatters #HealthAndWellness #GlobalArtsInMedicine #WellnessFestival #JoinUs #artsinhealth #artsinmedicine

@alisonbeaumont.art
@the_radiant_poet
@lil_bits625

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“What now?” by Kat Mahale

I received this wonderful book today from the author and photographer, Kat Mahale, and I am very much looking forward to reading it. From what I have read so far I am very impressed – personal images, beautiful narratives, and Kat’s voice guides the reader through each conversation. Another fantastic contribution to the world of the therapeutic use of photography!

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Confirmed Presenters for the 2nd International Therapeutic Photography Symposium 2024

The presenters have now been confirmed for the upcoming International Therapeutic Photography Symposium 2024. We are delighted to announce the following presenters: Ulla Halkola from Finland, Mandy Seligman from USA (UK originally), Gabrielle Motola from USA, Khrystyna Muzychuk from Ukraine, Vasileios Kantas from Greece, Louise Far from the Philippines, Kat Mahale from the UK, Andre Potters-Kemp from the Netherlands, Marina Belaya from Russia, Natalie Hunfalvay from Australia, and of course Ruth Davey and Neil Gibson from the UK. We also had some excellent submissions which we will not have time to show on the night, but we will be putting on a fringe event to showcase work from other parts of the world…more information on that to follow.

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International Therapeutic Photography Symposium 2024

Bookings are now open for the 2nd International Therapeutic Photography Symposium. The event will take place online on the 26th April 2024 between 6pm and 9pm UK time. Tickets are free but you must book to be able to attend. Please only book if you intend to attend virtually on the night. The event will also be recorded and made available on YouTube afterwards.

To book, please go to therapeuticphotographysymposium2024.eventbrite.co.uk

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Wex Photo and Video & Therapeutic Photography part 4

This is the final link I want to share from the Wex Photo and Video site. Once again, I am very impressed that a photographic shop has decided to focus on therapeutic photography on their website. In this 4th video, Leonie Hampton explores using her camera to explore mental health issues, including OCD.

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Wex Photo and Video & therapeutic photography part 3

In the 3rd of 4 videos I would like to share from Wex Photo and Video website, Daniel Regan talks about photography as a tool to communicate, process and heal when dealing with mental health related diagnoses and issues.

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Wex and therapeutic photography – part 2

The second video I wanted to share with you is by Paul Sanders. It is one of the videos promoted on the Wex Photo and Video site and well worth a watch. He focuses on mindful photography and his journey into this through a career in photography.

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Wex Photo Video & Therapeutic Photography

I was very pleased and surprised to see a special section on the Wex Photo Video homepage dedicated to therapeutic photography. I am going to share the videos that are on their page as they are freely available on YouTube. The first is an interview/conversation with Louis Quail about fighting stigma.

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PhotoCoaching China Summit 2023

I had the pleasure of presenting the closing keynote speech at this virtual event. I worked with an excellent translator during the session who patiently took the time to convey my presentation to the Mandarin speaking audience. Hopefully next year I will be able to attend in person and run some workshops.

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Presenting in Hong Hong…virtually

I’m going to be presenting the closing keynote speech at a conference in Hong Kong which focuses on using photography in coaching. I will be exploring the topic of therapeutic photography and how exercises can be shaped to achieve the intended outcomes of coaching, particularly around exploring the present, setting goals for the future, and identifying strengths. The conference is on the 16th December 2023…unfortunately I will be presenting virtually from Scotland so will not be able to attend in person.

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First International Symposium on Photography in Coaching

On Saturday the 18th November, 2023, Dorota Raniszewska hosted the first International Symposium on Photography in Coaching. There were some excellent speakers including Judy Weiser and Mandy Seligman, and fortunately the whole event was recorded and is available to watch on YouTube.

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Document your life

I came across this video on YouTube and wanted to share it as it resonated. It has been made by a photographer, Rick Bebbington, and he talks about using photography (and other methods) to help make sense of who you are…lots of connections to what we do in therapeutic photography.

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Save the Date…and Call for Submissions

On Friday 26th April 2024 Ruth Davey and Neil Gibson will host the 2nd International Therapeutic Photography Symposium. This will be held online and recorded for anyone who cannot attend in real time. Tickets will be available from December 2023 (Free).

This years theme will be “Phenomenological Photography – focusing on you to develop the self”

We are now inviting submissions for presentations. We have had some excellent submissions so far so this promises to be an eclectic and interesting mix of presentations. If you would like to give a 10 minute presentation at the symposium on a project you are working on, a technique you have used to good effect, or you just want to share good practice, then please submit a very short proposal (no more than 200 words) outlining your presentation idea. Every proposal will be considered, and we are really looking for variety, so please use this opportunity to celebrate the diverse approaches that these techniques encourage. Proposals should be e mailed to Neil Gibson at n.gibson@rgu.ac.uk by the end of November 2023.

We will inform successful applicants in due course and the expectation would be that presenters would pre-record their submissions for playing at the symposium, and be present at the event to answer questions for the live audience.

We look forward to hearing from any eager presenters, and are happy to answer any questions via e mail (n.gibson@rgu.ac.uk) and support you through the process.

More about Kizuku

Kizuku is a new six-week, one-to-one therapy programme that combines professional counselling with the power of therapeutic photography.

As a BACP-registered therapist, published author, and practitioner with many years’ experience in therapeutic photography, I have seen how photographs can help people explore thoughts, feelings, memories, relationships, and life experiences in ways that words alone sometimes cannot.

This is not a photography course, and you don’t need any photography experience.

It is therapy.

Photography simply provides another language through which we can understand ourselves, make sense of our experiences, and discover new possibilities for change.

The programme follows a six-stage therapeutic journey:

Seeing

Exploring what is drawing your attention right now.

Remembering

Reflecting on the stories, experiences, and memories that have shaped you.

Relating

Understanding patterns in relationships, both past and present.

Feeling

Giving space to emotions that may have been hidden, avoided, or difficult to express.

Becoming

Exploring strengths, possibilities, and the person you are becoming.

Integrating

Bringing together new insights and creating a meaningful way forward.

Over six weekly sessions, we will use conversation, reflection, and photographs to deepen self-awareness and support personal growth within a safe and professionally held therapeutic relationship.

No specialist equipment is needed. A phone camera is more than enough.

If you’re looking for therapy and would like to explore a creative, thoughtful, and deeply personal approach to understanding yourself, I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Message me for further information or to arrange an initial conversation.

#Therapy #Counselling #BACP #TherapeuticPhotography #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #PersonalGrowth #PhotographyAndTherapy

Kizuku

“This is not photography as therapy. It is therapy itself, with photography providing an additional language through which experience can be explored and understood.”

Becoming Aware…through Photography

For many years, photography has been central to my professional work. As a therapist, published author, and longstanding practitioner in the field of therapeutic photography, I have seen the unique ways that images can help people access thoughts, feelings, memories, and experiences that can be difficult to express through words alone.

I’m pleased to announce that I am now offering a six-session therapy programme integrating photography into the counselling process.

These are one to one, online therapy sessions, grounded in a professional therapeutic relationship and informed by established counselling practice. Photography is not the goal of the work. Rather, your photographs and image-making become valuable tools for reflection, exploration, and deeper understanding.

Together, we may explore themes such as identity, relationships, loss, life transitions, self-esteem, personal history, or the challenges you are currently facing. The photographs we use can help uncover perspectives and emotions that might otherwise remain out of reach.

You do not need any photography experience, artistic ability, or specialist equipment. The focus is not on creating great images, but on what the images reveal about your experiences, strengths, and aspirations.

The programme includes:

📷 Six one-to-one therapy sessions
🧠 A professionally held therapeutic process
💬 An opportunity to explore your life through both conversation and image-based reflection
🌱 Space for greater self-awareness, insight, and change

If you are looking for therapy and are curious about working in a more creative and visually engaging way, I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Each session costs £50, and there will be an option to extend past 6 weeks if that is something you feel you require.

📩 Contact me to arrange an initial conversation.

New dates announced for 2027

Hi all – I have been very quiet for a few months, but also very busy in my practice. The last 10 week facilitator course ended in April, and participants were very generous in their feedback. I was aware that I have run 3 full courses now, and I was keen to find out how it was being received by participants, and what could be changed going forward.

I have now taken time to reflect and am happy to announce the date for the next (fourth) run of my 10 week facilitator training course. The course will begin on the 1st Feb 2027 and run for 10 weeks. I will have newly recorded lectures, interactive exercises, and we will also schedule live group tutorials where we can take a deeper dive into the exercises to get the full therapeutic experience from our images.

Please visit https://therapeuticphotography.uk/eventsactivity/10-week-facilitator-training-in-therapeutic-photography-course/ for more details.

Adding Structure

It’s been a busy few weeks and my 10 week online facilitator training course is underway with some excellent participants, discussions, and (of course) images! So, the vodcasts are taking a bit of a back seat, but more to come! Here’s one where I talk about adding structure when using these techniques…enjoy!

Therapeutic Photography – getting started with your own images

This week I dive into an introductory technique that I use with groups, and one which is equally as effective when using these techniques on yourself. I demonstrate the “take, show, say, identity” steps of exploration on an image that I love.

Is Therapeutic Photography the same as Mindful Photography?

In my next vodcast, I explore whether Therapeutic Photography is the same thing as Mindful Photography…quick answer is no, but there is a cross over!

Is Therapeutic Photography “Therapy”?

In my next vodcast I ask “is therapeutic photography therapy?”

It can be a really useful thing to consider when you are facilitating groups and you are considering your own knowledge base, professional background, and experience.

Vodcast – “What is Therapeutic Photography?”

I have been working on a series of short vodcasts to explain and explore Therapeutic Photography. These are FREE to watch and the aim is to raise awareness of this beneficial approach by providing insight into various aspects of these techniques. In the first vodcast I attempt to answer one of the biggest questions…what is Therapeutic Photography?

Feedback from participants of the 10 week online course on Therapeutic Photography

I am sharing some feedback I received for the inaugural run of my 10 week online skills based course on Therapeutic Photography.

This was the first one I have delivered since leaving Robert Gordon University last year where I designed and delivered the Post Graduate course on this topic. It was fantastic to be back in action with some very enthusiastic, knowledgeable, skilled, and passionate students.

I still have some space on my September course, and I will also be announcing new dates for 2026 soon. For more information, please visit my website at https://therapeuticphotography.uk/eventsactivity/