Isabella is a dedicated child clinician who employs a sensorimotor, body-focused, trauma-informed art therapy approach to enhance the well-being of children, adolescents, and their families.
Isabella extends her expertise in Sensorimotor Art Therapy to adults, integrating sensorimotor psychotherapy techniques with art therapy to facilitate non-verbal processing of emotions and trauma. The therapeutic process begins by establishing a safe and trusting environment, followed by a thorough assessment to customise the treatment according to the client’s specific needs. Techniques such as mindfulness of bodily sensations and grounding exercises are employed with creative expression through art. This combination allows individuals to explore and articulate their feelings in a supportive setting, aiding in emotional healing and self-discovery.
Clients then reflect on their artwork to uncover and discuss emotions and bodily sensations that surface, enhancing their awareness and emotional processing. As therapy progresses, more complex exercises are introduced, focusing on teaching body awareness and regulatory techniques. The treatment aims to help clients integrate these insights into everyday life, concluding with a plan for continued personal growth after the sessions.
She adopts an integrative perspective, aiming to foster emotional regulation from the inside out. Beyond her private practice, Isabella has applied Sensorimotor Art Therapy in primary school settings, contributing to her robust experience. She also has a background in educational support, assisting children with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders, which enriches her therapeutic practice.
Isabella holds a Graduate Diploma in Psychology from The University of Melbourne and a Diploma in Sensorimotor Art Therapy from the Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy®, supplemented by Certificates in Art Therapy and Clay Field Therapy®. These methodologies serve as expressive mediums through which children can non-verbally express and modulate their emotions, facilitating the management of their internal feelings. In addition to her qualifications in psychology and art therapy, Isabella has a Bachelor of Business and has amassed 17 years of experience at senior levels of business management. This background equips her with a unique blend of professionalism and extensive stakeholder engagement skills, which she effectively integrates into her current therapeutic practice.
Isabella’s therapeutic practice is deeply rooted in Sensorimotor Art Therapy®, a body-focused psychotherapy approach that emphasises a bottom-up strategy rather than traditional top-down cognitive methods. This modality facilitates expression, often without words, by fostering an awareness of the ‘felt sense’—a person’s internal physical sensations and emotions. In addition to traditional visual art therapy, play therapy, and creative expressive therapy, this approach allows Isabella to guide her clients through the therapeutic process in which new sensorimotor experiences can foster a sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and empowerment. These experiences help clients communicate and explore their feelings in a profound and transformative way.
Isabella incorporates Clay Field Therapy® into her practice, a modality centred around haptic perception—utilising hands and touch as primary tools for perception. Through this technique, clients engage directly with clay, allowing them to enhance their self-expression and regulate emotions via sensory feedback. This hands-on method is extremely beneficial for developing confidence and a positive self-image and enhancing focus and concentration. Additionally, it aids in building motor skills, modulating and improving impulse control, and learning to manage and regulate emotions effectively, thereby helping clients recognise and harness their inner strength and capabilities.
Isabella has also gained valuable experience as a group facilitator in various settings. She has collaborated with Psychologist Faye Evans in retreats focused on “Embracing Change” as an art therapist, where she utilised her expertise to help participants navigate personal transformations through artistic expression. Additionally, Isabella has been involved in the “Truly Amazing Kids” program, where she facilitated social skills programs for children. In this role, she has helped develop essential interpersonal abilities in young participants, using her therapeutic background to create supportive and effective learning environments.
Isabella specialises in working with early childhood and school-aged children, focusing on trauma work. Her expertise extends to supporting children who are dealing with grief and loss, as well as those from separated and divorced families, emphasising her commitment to helping young individuals who have experienced trauma.
Isabella is committed to creating a secure, nurturing, therapeutic environment for families and children. She utilises play-based techniques and adopts a kind, warm, and intuitive client-centred approach. Additionally, Isabella provides families with parenting consulting sessions and approaches her work from a family systems perspective, ensuring that the entire family unit is supported and empowered through her interventions.
Isabella is also proficient in working with adults, particularly those who have experienced trauma. She employs a compassionate and tailored approach, utilizing her extensive training in trauma-informed therapies to support individuals in their healing journey. By creating a safe and supportive therapeutic environment, Isabella helps adults navigate through their past experiences foster resilience and promote a deeper understanding of themselves and their responses to past traumas. Her commitment to adult clients underscores her versatility and dedication to facilitating growth and recovery across all stages of life.