– a new Art Therapy service at Tagsa Uibhist
Having recently made a new Service Level Agreement with Comhairle Nan Eilean Sìar to provide art therapy to children and young people in Uist and Benbecula, Tagsa is happy to announce its newest project An Drochaid Cruthachail (The Creative Bridge). This project builds on the successful piloting of art therapy with younger adults and parents at Tagsa and embraces the natural connections between inner creativity, emotional growth and the community garden environment.
With emotional wellbeing and safe, effective support for the mental health challenges of our community at its heart, An Drochaid Cruthachail offers confidential, psychotherapeutic intervention to children, young people, families, and young adults. From early intervention and wellbeing group support at times when mental health can be most vulnerable, to individual sessions to address mental health challenges, art therapy is carried out at Tagsa and in other community settings and is adapted and tailored to suit the specific needs of individuals and families. Collaboration with Adult Support at Tagsa in the provision of inter-generational open art workshops creatively and culturally links people across all age spans into the developing community hub at Tagsa’s Community Gardens.
An Drochaid Cruthachail is led by experienced art psychotherapist Catriona MacInnes. Catriona has worked as an HCPC registered art psychotherapist since 1997 in the NHS and third sector organisations gaining extensive experience in working with the complex trauma of childhood abuse in both children and adults, with asylum seekers and refugees, in addiction and recovery and with life threatening illness, palliative care, loss and bereavement. Particularly interested in how to address trans-generational and cultural trauma she has set up art therapy services in London, Edinburgh and Uist. Catriona is also an approved clinical supervisor, visiting lecturer and published researcher. She represents the interests of Gaels in Scotland for her professional body, the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) and also founded and coordinates a BAAT Special Interest Group for Art Therapists in Scotland working with children and young people. Catriona inherited the family croft in North Uist in 2019 and lives with her dog and cats surrounded by various wild animals. Learning Gaelic and dancing keep her busy when she is not working.
