Dr Carla van Laar Creative Arts Therapy

05/01/2026

💡New research: art therapy significantly reduces burnout in hospital staff

⚠️ Burnout among healthcare professionals is now widely recognised as a serious risk — to individuals, teams, and health systems.

❓What’s been missing is strong evidence for what actually helps.

🏥 A newly published randomised controlled trial (RCT) conducted across four acute hospitals in London offers a compelling answer.

🎨 What the study found:

• Six weekly group art therapy sessions led to significant reductions in emotional exhaustion (the core driver of burnout)
• Reduced stress, anxiety and depression
• Improvements were sustained at 3-month follow-up

✅ The program was:

• Safe (no adverse events)
• Highly acceptable (98% found it helpful)
• Feasible and low-cost (group-based, one therapist, non-clinical spaces)

👍 Importantly, the effects were larger than those typically reported for many standard burnout interventions.

💗 Why this matters:

This study highlights the value of more-than-verbal, embodied approaches; group-based care that supports both individuals and systems; and creative processes as core wellbeing infrastructure — not an add-on.

📶 At a time when healthcare systems are under immense strain, this kind of evidence strengthens the case for integrating creative therapies into workforce wellbeing, EAPs, and staff support services.

🌱 I’ll be drawing on this research in my work developing Creative EAP programs across schools and health settings — and I hope to see more organisations recognising creative care as essential health workforce infrastructure.

Read the full article here:

https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/2/e002251



Image below is from the additional PDF number 3 showing artwork made in session by hospital staff.

03/01/2026

So many people have shared with me how moved they were by viewing the 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum documentary film.

There is something about the inclusivity, the stories shared, and the power of creativity held in community that touches us deeply.

For some, it seems to awaken sleeping knowledge, our innate, cellular wisdom — instincts about our own creativity and wellbeing, memories carried in bodies and cultures, and a sense that creativity and wellness are part of what it means to be human; our birthright.

It is just over 30 minutes long, and might be a film to watch slowly, when it suits you — allowing whatever it stirs in you to unfold in its own way.

As we move into 2026, many people are still in holiday mode — easing back rather than rushing in.

If you find yourself with a little space to reflect, the 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum documentary is available to watch online.

You might find that in witnessing these stories shared by artists, therapists and community members, that part of you feels witnessed too.

My gift to you.

Filmed on BoonWurrung Country, Inverloch, Australia This documentary shares stories from the fifth annual Creative Mental Health Forum — a four-day gathering…

30/12/2025

I’m absolutely delighted to once again be presenting at the World Art Therapy conference in February 2026 alongside some of my favourite alltime practitioners!

Have a look at the incredible line up, we have a wonderful Australian representation including the very wonderful Marianne Wobcke and Carlie Atkinson.

I can’t wait for these presentations and immerse in the collective wisdom represented at this event.

My own workshop is included in the ‘Mind/Body’ approaches section and I share about the process of co-designing the ‘Ocean, Art and Mindfulness’ veteran wellbeing program in my local small coastal community.

I have included a number of experiential activities for you to do, and I also share the remarkable outcomes of this nature-based, creative wellness, group program, along with tips for planning and evaluating your own projects, and a vision of creative health for the future.

I’m happy to let you know that the conference is free to watch during the live stream events.

If you are interested in the paid package for ongoing access at any time, please use my personal link below to receive my 15% discount.

Happy new year 😊

https://www.artstherapies.org/link/RyQNXj/VANLAAR15?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.artstherapies.org%2Fcourse%2Fworld-art-therapy-conference-2026

30/12/2025

“Evidence of Imagination”

I was excited to welcome the first group of children for yesterday’s school holiday Imagination Lane workshop!

Here are the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos - evidence of two hours well spent immersing in imagination.

Characters were invented, entire universes created, stories were shared.

Well done young people.

Your imaginations are alive and well.

Can’t wait for more!

27/12/2025

I’m looking forward to welcoming some inspired young creatives to my Inverloch studio on Tuesday!

There are just a couple of spots left so please book in quickly to ensure your child has a place 😊

“IMAGINATION LANE”: School Holidays Creative Wellbeing Sessions for Young People

Tuesday 30 December
Tuesday 6 January
10:00am – 12:00pm

Cultivating a creative imagination is one of the most important resources we can nurture in children and young people.

Imagination helps young people grow into creative, emotionally intelligent and adaptable beings — confident in their abilities to participate as valued, contributing and connected members of the world.

“Imagination Lane” is a small-group creative wellbeing experience designed to support this development in gentle, joyful and meaningful ways.

Inverloch Creative Therapies Studio
Small group (max 8, minimum 3 participants)

$120 per young person for a 2-hour session
All creative materials supplied.

Extra times available on request for small groups of three or more.

Please contact Dr Carla van Laar Creative Arts Therapy to book in:
Carla@carlavanlaar.com

More info here:

Inverloch Creative Therapies Creative and Experiential Therapy provided by Qualified Registered Professionals Book Now Try Creative and Experiential Therapy for yourself in our welcoming private studio. A Safe Space for you: Inverloch Creative and Experiential Therapies A non-clinical space where .....

24/12/2025

Thanks VisitInverloch for featuring my school holidays kids workshops in the brand new guide:

“Best bits for Kids”

“Inverloch Creative Therapies
Imagination Lane – A Creative Holiday Break for Young People

Travelling to Inverloch with kids or teens these holidays? Give them a grounding, screen-free break with Imagination Lane, a creative wellbeing session for young people aged 10–15.

Held in a warm, welcoming studio, these small-group sessions invite kids to unwind and explore hands-on art activities that spark imagination and confidence. Guided by PACFA-registered Creative and Experiential Therapist Dr Carla van Laar, Imagination Lane helps young people feel calm, connected and creatively alive — without needing to “talk about their feelings” unless they choose to.

Perfect for:
• kids who love making and exploring
• young people who benefit from sensory friendly space
• families seeking something meaningful (and fun!)
• parents who’d love time to shop, relax or enjoy the beach

Holiday Dates
• Tuesday 30 December
• Tuesday 6 January
🕙 10am–12pm
📍 Inverloch Creative Therapies Studio
👥 Small group (max 😎

Cost: $120 per young person (all materials included)

To learn more, visit the Inverloch Creative Therapies webpage.
Bookings essential‍ ‍email carla@carlavanlaar.com “

Are you looking for the best things for the kids to do in and around Inverloch these school holidays? Look no further as we have created a list of some of the best way to keep your kids entertained!

22/12/2025

Creative Health: The Question Being Asked Is No Longer the Right One

There’s been a global boom in practice, research and publishing about Creative Health this year.

This surge reveals the way forward - and also clearly shows that some questions are ready to be retired.

The outdated questions:

❓Are creative therapies effective?

❓Are art and music therapies viable allied health supports?

❓Do creative approaches really improve mental health and wellbeing?

These questions might have made sense decades ago when ‘evidence’ was emerging and professions were developing. They no longer fit the current global context.

💡Why these questions are outdated:

Global health bodies, psychiatry, and public health frameworks now recognise arts and creative engagement as vital contributors to mental health and wellbeing - like sleep, exercise and diet.

The issue is no longer uncertainty about effectiveness, but how systems respond to this knowledge.

🖼️ Reframing the questions:

If creative therapies are effective and evidence-supported, why are they still treated as peripheral rather than integrated as core public mental health infrastructure in Australia?

Why do our systems continue to hesitate in utilising creative practitioners as public mental health resources, despite overwhelming need and strong evidence?

In the midst of a mental health and su***de crisis, why are we still questioning the legitimacy of creative therapies instead of mobilising them as part of our public health response?

💗The human stakes:

The issue is no longer whether creative therapies are helpful. The issue is whether our systems are able to recognise, trust, and mobilise forms of care that don’t sit neatly inside older biomedical models — now more than ever when people are hurting, and help is urgently needed.

🌈 What I want to see:

Position descriptions for mental health roles in multidisciplinary teams that explicitly welcome PACFA-registered Creative and Experiential Therapists to apply.

GPs referring help seekers with mild-moderate mental health concerns to local, community based PACFA CCET registered creative and experiential therapists for timely, personal, creative care.

Schools engaging PACFA CCET registered creative and experiential therapists to help care for the mental health and wellbeing of both students and staff.

The Australian National Standards for Counselling and Psychotherapy now provide clarity and confidence about the role of tertiary-qualified counselling and psychotherapy practitioners, including Creative and Experiential Therapists.

⏰ Time for change! The question is no longer:

whether creative therapies work,

OR

Whether creative therapists belong in allied and mental health teams

OR

Whether creative and experiential therapies are safely regulated.

💫The real question now is:

How quickly will Australia’s systems adapt?

…

Want to read more?

https://ncch.org.uk/blog/creative-health-books-released-in-2025

19/12/2025

"Take your Imagination on Holiday"

Dr Carla's EOY News is out - This festive edition is an invitation to take your imagination on holidays as we close out 2025.

Inside you’ll find:

✨ a final EOY Supervision Studio and a new 12-month Creative Supervision Package for 2026
✨ Imagination Lane holiday workshops for children and young people
✨ new GP referral pathways for counselling & creative therapies
✨ Creative Wellbeing for Schools launching for 2026
✨ a free Art Therapy First Aid resource
✨ recent writing, reflection, and new artwork

If creativity is part of how you care, reflect, and renew — you’re warmly invited to read along.

👉 Read it here:
🔗 https://carlavanlaar.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=tnp&na=v&nk=9-86663b88f4&id=55

A happy and safe festive season to all my friends and colleagues around Australia and the world. And extra special love to you if this is a complex and difficult time to navigate.

Thanks for the amazing connections and conversations throughout 2025.

18/12/2025

What if creativity isn’t a luxury — but a life skill?

New neuroscience research into jazz improvisation shows how the brain becomes more flexible, engaged, and responsive when we’re allowed to improvise within a safe structure.

This mirrors what artists, educators, and creative practitioners see every day:

creativity helps us build confidence, adaptability, and hope — especially in times of uncertainty.

I’ve written a new blog reflecting on this research, improvisation, imagination, and why creativity matters for mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan:

👉 Read the full article here:
🔗 https://carlavanlaar.com/creativity-improvisation-and-life-skills/

Locally, this way of working comes to life through Imagination Lane — creative wellbeing workshops for children and young people, offering space to explore feelings, flexibility, and confidence through art-making and play.

👉 Learn more about Imagination Lane:
🔗 https://carlavanlaar.com/inverloch-art-therapy/

If you’re part of the Inverloch community, or connected with families visiting the area, please feel free to share.

“The Ability to Improvise Is the Ability to Live” What if creativity is not a luxury, but a life skill? A new neuroscience study on jazz improvisation offers something rare: a way of watching creativity unfold in real time. Researchers … Read More

17/12/2025

There’s been an important shift in Australia’s mental health system with the endorsement of the National Standards for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.

In response, I’ve put together a short Gippsland GP referral guide to help primary care services understand when referral to a PACFA-registered counsellor or creative therapist may support people experiencing anxiety, stress, grief, adjustment difficulties or emotional overwhelm.

This work sits alongside GP care and helps improve access to timely support in our region.

If you work in primary care, or are connected to GP practices, feel free to share.

I love working with local people and I am here to help.

📍 Inverloch (face-to-face)
💻 Telehealth across Gippsland

16/12/2025

Join me for a special
EOY Supervision Studio,
this Sunday 21st December
10am - 12.30pm AEST

A creative pause to:
- close off 2025
- clear out any unfinished business
- reflect on everything you have achieved this year
- set yourself up to enjoy the holiday season
- start to vision what you will create in 2026.

Book yourself in or email Carla to join as a new member:
carla@carlavanlaar.com

The bottom-up approach to supervision that honours embodied wisdom, art as a way of knowing, and the power of connection.

13/12/2025

I'm thrilled to announce the release of the

"Creative Mental Health Forum 2025 Documentary"

**now free to watch online in full.**

What happens when a passionate group of therapists, artists, educators and community members come together for four days to explore how creativity, community and collective care can reshape mental health and wellbeing?

Filmed on BoonWurrung Country in Inverloch, Australia, this documentary shares stories from our fifth Creative Mental Health Forum — a one-of-a-kind, values-led, crowd-funded gathering where we meet in solidarity to co-create practice, community and knowledge.

In a biomedical-dominated health system, where healing is so often reduced to billable units and isolated symptoms, the Forum remembers and re-generates another way. “Creative Mental Health” is grounded in art, movement, music, drama, play, story, and connection — ancient forms of healing that endure because they speak to the body, heart, and spirit.

What emerges is clear: creative practices support mental health, and their true strength lies in the relationships and communities that hold them. This is not work to be fragmented, marginalised or commodified — it is living, collective care.

After premiering with Forum participants and screening internationally at the Creative Therapies Global Business Summit, the documentary is now offered publicly so its stories, creativity and conversations can ripple outward.

🎥 Watch the full film:
https://vimeo.com/user146039271/cmhf2025?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
(Please feel free to share)

May these stories nourish the ecosystems of care we continue to build together.

May Creative Mental Health approaches be integrated as core public health infrastructure for the greater good of all.

🌿 Creative Care, Anywhere.

Filmed on BoonWurrung Country, Inverloch, Australia This documentary shares stories from the fifth annual Creative Mental Health Forum — a four-day gathering…