How Creative Therapies Started

Creative Therapies was founded in 1994 by a drama-therapist in response to the needs of people with emotional, physical and mental health issues. Originally it was set up as an association of arts therapists working in various communities in Glasgow. By 1996, it became a company limited by guarantee, had gained charitable status and was governed by a Board of Directors.

This formal structure enables the provision of ‘creative therapies’ to be accessible to more people, in particular, young people and families. It also enables the company to fund-raise for projects and to plan work in close partnership with other agencies.

Creative Therapies now employ Art, Drama, Music and Movement Therapists and hope to see the company develop further. To partners, we are known for the depth of our work, our commitment to the young people we come into contact with, our willingness to share our expertise and the innovative and responsive nature of the company. Our work has been made possible by individuals and organisations that understand our need to sustain work with the young people over a period of time.

Company Information

Creative Therapies is a voluntary organisation (with no comparable competitor) providing a service unique in Scotland, combining arts therapies in all four disciplines of art, music, drama and dance movement and work with professionally trained artists/clinicians.  We are highly regarded in our field of work and are regularly approached by qualified specialists wanting to work with the company. All staff moving on express the wish to maintain links with the company and are often involved in future projects. We value the expertise of all our staff and encourage them to develop fields of professional interest.

Creative Therapies have strong links with arts therapists training in Scotland, the International Masters Degree in Art Psychotherapy at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.  Every academic year Creative Therapies provides placements for arts therapists in training and staff also lecture on the course.  This ensures we keep up to date with current research in Art Therapy Theory, Research and Practice.

Creative Therapies have a pool of experienced therapists, qualified at Masters Level, across the disciplines of art, drama, music and dance-movement therapies.  All of our staff have had a long involvement with the company and are highly regarded in their field.  Creative Therapies attract the best of recent graduates and encourage them to work for us to ensure the continuing development of new ideas in the company while providing the opportunity for them to work closely with more experienced practitioners.

What Creative Therapies Stand for

• Meaningful planned engagement over time, as opposed to one-off or sessional events.
• Working in partnership with the statutory and voluntary sectors to identify beneficiaries and to deliver creative therapies in a targeted and effective way.
• High quality interventions by trained professionals applying the highest standards of practice and clinical governance.
• Joint work between artists and therapists so that beneficiaries can participate in cultural life beyond a therapeutic context.
• Sharing specialist skills and experience in Creative Therapies with others through the provision of training, supervision and publication.
• Careful and sustainable financial management to ensure that the work of  the organisation can continue to be delivered over the long term.

Creative Therapies Vision Statement

“Is to be a catalyst for promoting and engaging the therapeutic arts in Scotland for the most vulnerable in our society.”

Company Aims

Creative Therapies has two main aims:

- to relieve human suffering and distress of a psychological, emotional, social, behavioural, institutional or familial nature through the application of creative therapies.

- to promote, maintain, improve and advance education through research training and  in the application of creative activities.

To find out more about our work please call: 0141 342 4444 or email: info@creativetherapies.co.uk