My participation in the Intro to Art Therapy (2023) opened me to a new and profound paradigm which has greatly enriched both my professional and personal life. Marcela consistently and gently demonstrated the power of equal relationship, creating spaces of beauty, respect and quietness, the art of inviting and facilitating personal exploration using a variety of media. I am changed by my experience and this new way of seeing and listening to the wisdom within myself and others. I’m so grateful for this gift, thanks Marcella.
11/01/24
" Thank-you Marcela for leading the Art Therapy as a Career Course with such planning, attention to detail, ' newness', ambience, and serenity. It was educational, informative and continued to lead me on a journey of self- discovery,"
Warmly,
“I was lucky enough to attend Marcela’s art therapy class. With three other political activists we explored our experiences, both good and bad. With Marcela’s guidance I drew out lessons from personal events. Making small art projects was therapeutic and enlightening for me. Working to overcome some of the fear that I had, I found strength in what I’d achieved and experienced. I discovered that although I felt like I had no artistic talent, I was able to express myself creatively. I learnt a lot about myself.”
“My thoughts and experience – Art Therapy with Marcela Olea
I became involved in an incredible artistic process related to sharing my experiences as an activist, a space I am very passionate about.
Ordinarily, I use language and words to express my meaning and my feelings, they are my source of communication and power but being involved in an art therapy process to communicate opened up my feelings in a different way.
I am not an artist, nor do I consider myself particularly artistic but I believe we are all creative in different ways. When I try do an artistic activity such as paint or draw or sculpt etc, I feel out of my depth and feel that my end product will be ordinary. What was amazing about participating in a group art therapy activity was the freedom to simply express your thoughts in diverse ways. It challenged me because I had to express myself in a different way, so my thoughts were right at the centre. This was all about the process….it was really so thought provoking and left me feeling very emotional. I was able to draw on very deep feelings which struck to my core values and this was very empowering for me.
I was in a safe, supportive space with Marcela and she was professional, instructive and patient in the group we worked in. It was interesting seeing other members’ thoughts and creative expressions and we were able to draw on all the experiences together and understand together what activism and politics meant to us and to feel passionate about what we were all involved in.”
“My sessions with Marcela opened me up in the most beautiful and unique way.
I loved the various mediums Marcela introduced to each session, they were always different.
Having been given various mediums to work with, it enabled me the opportunity to explore my vulnerabilities in a safe nurtured space held by Marcela. I felt tremendously supported and guided with much care and attention. Marcela’s professionalism and attention to detail were exceptional. I also felt a wonderful partnership/companionship in each of my sessions, the ability to work together with a common goal. It really isn’t about the Art itself but the process in unravelling my vulnerabilities in such a way, I was able to use Art as a vehicle of self expression, definition and clarity. I highly recommend Marcela Olea to anyone who is looking for Art Therapy as a Wellness modality.”