Photo Therapy

I like being creative, therefore, I was interested in a course involving photography therapeutically. Firstly, you do not need to be perfect in photography or have expensive equipment to use it in therapy, however it helps to have an interest or enjoy it. It is also suitable for all ages, but I find this can be particularly engaging with teenagers with their own phones.

Here are some of the ways it can be used therapeutically:

* Bringing photos into the session of loved ones or places, this can help with talking about them, for example when there is grief or loss.

* Taking photographs to express how you're feeling or to explain a life experience, I have examples on my website but another example could be feeling close to burnout or despair and taking a photograph of a broken wall that you happened to walk past. This can make it easier to talk about the despair as the focus is on the photograph rather than yourself.

* Relaxation. The process of taking photographs can have a mindful or relaxation element to it as it focuses on the moment, rather than the past or future. Your focus is just on what you are capturing, pressing the button and then looking at the image.