Creative Art Therapy Australia

08/01/2026

The NDIS was built on principles of choice, control, and capacity.

But these words only matter when they show up in real lives.

Emily, a young NDIS participant, entered Creative Art Therapy seeking to build confidence and learn to set healthy boundaries - to say “no” without guilt or fear.

Over 39 sessions, she shaped her therapy around her needs: starting online, then choosing to attend onsite when ready. Through creative processes - role play, narrative, and symbolic expression - she learned to externalise emotion, practise assertiveness, and prioritise her wellbeing.

Today, she describes herself as “able to say no without feeling scared.”

That’s not just emotional growth - that’s functional capacity-building under Improved Daily Living.

Creative Arts Therapies deliver on the NDIS promise: measurable autonomy, built through creativity, evidence, and participant leadership.

Read the full perspective here: https://cata.org.au/cata-impact/single-case-study-ndis-2023/

05/01/2026

One quiet shift in behaviour can change everything.

Maria entered aged care struggling with depression and grief.

After eight weeks — sixteen Creative Art Therapy sessions delivered by trained therapists — her outcomes were clear and observable:
• She left her room willingly.
• She spoke openly and shared stories.
• She reconnected socially and sustained a positive mood across days.

Her own words say it best:
“This has made me very happy.”
“I am so excited for every Thursday and Friday when Creative Art Therapy is here.”

These are not anecdotes — they are data-backed behavioural changes that aged care teams observed, recorded, and sustained.

Structured Creative Arts Therapy delivers measurable outcomes in engagement, communication, and agency — proof that dignity in care is not abstract; it’s observable.

See the full case study on our website: https://cata.org.au/cata-impact/agedcare-case-study-1/

A Not-for-Profit organization, Creative Art Therapy Australia (CATA) provides multiple platforms in Creative Art Therapies for the expression, experience and understanding of personal trauma.

30/12/2025

Stepping into 2026 with the same focus we’ve always had: our community.

To our participants, families, and Elders, thank you for the conversations, the honesty, and the trust you shared with us this year.

We will continue listening.

We will continue advocating.

We will continue creating spaces where culture is honoured and people feel safe.

Thank you for letting CATA be part of your journey.

Here’s to a new year grounded in purpose, connection, and community strength.

If you need support as 2026 begins, we’re here to walk with you.

17/12/2025

This collaboration matters.

Card.Gift has partnered with Julian Clavijo, CATA’s Ambassador on a series of gift cards, with a portion of every sale donated to CATA.

Julian’s relationship with CATA goes back years. Turning that connection into direct support for our work is something we hold dear to our hearts.

Thank you to Card.Gift for backing our cause and our purpose, and to Julian for continuing to support CATA. It's moments an collaborations such as these that matter.

The CATA Team

17/12/2025

Agency isn’t abstract - it’s measurable.

In NDIS planning and therapy, language directly influences whether participants achieve their goals.

When goals are vague (“I want to be more independent”), progress is hard to track. When they’re specific and participant-led (“I want to travel to my local library on my own once a week”), strategies and outcomes align.

Research confirms this: clear, empowering language is linked to higher goal attainment and satisfaction.

As providers, our role is to model that language - asking “How would you like to approach this?” instead of prescribing what should happen.

Whether through words, art, movement, or music - communication that centres the participant’s voice creates measurable change.

Learn more on our website → https://cata.org.au/whats-new/the-power-of-language-building-agency-goal-and-control-for-ndis-participants/

16/12/2025

We don’t need more evidence - we need action.

Across aged care settings, structured Creative Arts Therapies have shown measurable improvements in mood regulation, cognitive engagement, and social connection. They reduce agitation, strengthen staff empathy, and improve the overall care environment.

International models like the Netherlands’ dementia villages have proven this integration works - reducing medication use and increasing quality of life.

The next step for Australia is clear:
• Formally recognise Creative Arts Therapies as a funded allied health service.
• Embed them in accreditation and psychosocial assessment standards.
• Build workforce capacity through structured training and supervision.

The outcomes are visible. The workforce exists. The framework is ready.

The reform moment is now.

Explore how this evidence is reshaping aged care reform → https://cata.org.au/whats-new/responsiveness-of-creative-art-therapies-to-royal-commission-into-aged-care-quality-and-safety/

A Not-for-Profit organization, Creative Art Therapy Australia (CATA) provides multiple platforms in Creative Art Therapies for the expression, experience and understanding of personal trauma.

16/12/2025

For Creative Arts Therapies to hold their place in the NDIS, impact must be proven - not assumed.

That means clear alignment between session goals and NDIS outcomes like emotional regulation, daily living, and social participation.

When we measure progress - minutes tolerated in group settings, frequency of self-regulation, or new social initiations - we translate creative processes into functional data.

Reports, baseline comparisons, and family or educator feedback become evidence in plan reviews. This is what shifts perception from “optional” to essential.

The message to providers is simple: measure what matters, bridge outcomes clearly, and show how creative processes drive independence and participation.

That’s what makes Creative Arts Therapies both fundable and future-proof.

Dive in → https://cata.org.au/whats-new/creative-arts-therapies-in-ndis-contexts/

09/12/2025

The Royal Commission made one thing clear: aged care must close the gap between physical care and emotional wThe Royal Commission made one thing clear: aged care must close the gap between physical care and emotional w -being.

Yet in many facilities, Creative Arts Therapies remain framed as “activities” - add-ons rather than clinical interventions.

Our 2023–24 Creative Care Program across multiple aged care sites showed what happens when this changes. Trained therapists were embedded into care teams, working alongside nurses and lifestyle staff, delivering measurable improvements in mood, cognition, and social connection.

These are not anecdotes; they are evidence-based outcomes observed, documented, and felt in real time by staff and families.

The message to sector leaders is clear: Creative Arts Therapies are not a luxury - they are an allied health necessity for a system that claims to value holistic care.

Explore the full piece → https://cata.org.au/whats-new/integrating-creative-art-therapies-in-aged-care/

29/11/2025

We don’t need more evidence - we need action.

Across aged care settings, structured Creative Arts Therapies have shown measurable improvements in mood regulation, cognitive engagement, and social connection. They reduce agitation, strengthen staff empathy, and improve the overall care environment.

International models like the Netherlands’ dementia villages have proven this integration works - reducing medication use and increasing quality of life.

The next step for Australia is clear:
• Formally recognise Creative Arts Therapies as a funded allied health service.
• Embed them in accreditation and psychosocial assessment standards.
• Build workforce capacity through structured training and supervision.

The outcomes are visible. The workforce exists. The framework is ready.

The reform moment is now.

Read the full article on our website: https://cata.org.au/whats-new/responsiveness-of-creative-art-therapies-to-royal-commission-into-aged-care-quality-and-safety/

26/11/2025

In aged care, we often measure success by safety, nutrition, and compliance. But what about agency, joy, and connection?

When Maria entered aged care, she was grieving and withdrawn. Her husband of 66 years, living with advanced dementia, no longer recognised her.

Over the next eight weeks, through structured Creative Art Therapy sessions, something changed. Maria began expressing her emotions through art, joining group sessions, and rediscovering her voice. She went from staying in her room to staying for hours - talking, laughing, and leading stories.

What happened wasn’t a miracle. It was agency restored through structured creative process.

This is what aged care reform must look like - moving beyond safety and routine to approaches that rebuild identity, autonomy, and social connection.

Creative Art Therapy isn’t entertainment; it’s clinical, measurable care that restores the self.

Explore the full case study here: https://cata.org.au/cata-impact/agedcare-case-study-1/

A Not-for-Profit organization, Creative Art Therapy Australia (CATA) provides multiple platforms in Creative Art Therapies for the expression, experience and understanding of personal trauma.

24/11/2025

The sustainability of drama therapy in the NDIS will depend on one thing: evidence that connects story to data.

Providers must show how dramatic processes - role, improvisation, embodiment - translate into measurable change:
• Tolerance of group settings.
• Frequency of peer initiations.
• Latency to calm after distress.

These are observable, reportable, and defensible outcomes under NDIS capacity-building categories.

The policy signal is clear: with the 2025 review confirming art and music therapy supports will remain, outcome measurement will define future funding.

It’s time for providers to make every story count - by linking every creative process to clear, functional progress.

Discover how this approach is shaping NDIS reform → https://cata.org.au/whats-new/why-drama-therapy-works-with-ndis-participants/

22/11/2025

In many aged care settings, daily routines are fixed: meals at set times, activities on schedule, limited choices.

Control fades quietly - and with it, dignity.

Creative Art Therapy changes that dynamic. When a resident decides what to create, which story to tell, or when to participate, they’re reclaiming autonomy. These are small choices with major psychological impact.

Research has long shown that even modest increases in control reduce depression and strengthen resilience. Yet few facilities measure agency as an outcome.

If we’re serious about person-centred care, then agency must become one of our key performance indicators.

Visit our website to explore the full blog: https://cata.org.au/whats-new/cultural-sensitivity-control-and-agency-in-creative-art-therapy-for-aged-care/