2025 Self Esteem Work- Clay - Gestalt Art Therapy
Registrants from Australia can obtain their CPD /OPD hours (non-endorsed activities)
ANZACATA CPD hours
AASW CPD hours
ACA OPD hours
PACFA CPD hours
Shaping Self-Esteem: Gestalt Approaches for Working with Teens and Clients of All Ages
The Power of Using Clay in Gestalt Art Therapy Sessions
Clay is a powerful medium in art therapy due to its tactile, sensory, and symbolic qualities. Its physical properties engage both the body and the mind, offering a direct and immediate connection to emotions and inner experiences.
Working with self-esteem requires a foundation of trust, safety, and presence.
Whether using general or Gestalt approaches, the goal is to help the client become more aware of their strengths, accept themselves fully, and act from a place of inner support and confidence.
Key Concepts
Tactile Engagement and Grounding
Touching, squeezing, and shaping clay helps individuals become more grounded. It draws attention to the present moment, which is especially beneficial for clients experiencing anxiety, dissociation, or emotional overwhelm.
Nonverbal Expression
Clay allows for the expression of emotions that may be difficult to articulate verbally. The process of molding can reveal unconscious material and create a safe space for emotional exploration.
Symbolic Representation
Clay offers a three-dimensional form to externalize inner experiences. This is helpful in trauma work, grief, and identity exploration, as clients can shape, destroy, or transform the clay, reflecting their internal processes.
Control and Empowerment
Working with clay gives clients a sense of control. They can change the shape, texture, or structure at will, which can be especially empowering for individuals who feel powerless in other areas of their lives.
Physical Release and Integration
The physicality of working with clay allows clients to release built-up tension. It also supports integration by engaging the senses and body, helping clients process emotions holistically.
Metaphor for Change
Clay’s malleability serves as a metaphor for personal growth and transformation. It reminds clients that change is possible and that they can shape their reality in new and constructive ways.
Workshop Objectives:
Understand key psychological theories underpinning self-esteem in adults and adolescents.
Explore the Gestalt Therapy approach to self-esteem, including projection and integration.
Experience creative exercises for working with inner child themes and adolescent identity.
Learn techniques to support clients in reshaping their self-concept and personal narrative.
Gain tools and experiential methods to apply in individual or group therapeutic settings.
ONLINE Workshop information:
When: July 26th, 2025
Time: 5 pm to 7 pm (Brisbane- Australian time) AEST- Australian Eastern Standard Time. UTC/GMT +10 hours.
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Cost:
Gestalt Art Therapy Club members. Participation: $95Aud
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General participants. Participation: $110Aud.
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Any questions please contact us.
ONLINE Workshop REGISTRATION HERE
System and Materials you will need for the workshop participation:
System: Zoom (After your registration, you will receive the link so you can access the day of the event)
Connection system and materials that you will need to have available on the day of the workshop:
- Internet connection, a computer, tablet, or phone, with access to a webcam and microphone.
- Have the Zoom program or APP installed and be registered
- One A4 Paper to write and/or draw on and some colors (crayons)
- Compulsory: A piece of clay (alternative colorful plasticine) and optional: beads, feathers, small found objects, etc.
Once the registration is paid, we will send you the Zoom link for the workshop connection.
Online Workshops
Please note that if, on the day of the workshop, we do not have a minimum number of participants, the live workshop will not proceed, and if the recording is available, you will receive the recording.
Please note that PayPal payments and refunds will incur a 3% transaction fee, applied by PayPal.
Workshop Participation Guidelines and Emotional Wellbeing Information
Purpose and Scope of the Workshop
The objective of the workshop is to provide training and learning in tools and techniques from Gestalt Art Therapy. It is important to note that this workshop is not designed for personal therapeutic work.
Privacy and Recording:
The workshop will be recorded, providing current and future participants the opportunity to revisit the content and activities at their convenience. Participants will have online access to the recording for six months from the date of the workshop.
By participating in this event, you acknowledge and consent to the session being recorded. You understand that your image, voice, and contributions may be included in the recorded material, which may also be made available for sale. By joining, you also agree that no economic or other forms of compensation will be provided for your participation or contributions to the recording.