Prior to becoming a therapist I worked with parents and children as part of a national research project with the University of London, in education, training and early years services. This enabled me to see how what happened in the past can impact us in the present.
I am interested in the arts including visual art, drama, dreams, journaling and stories (personal, familial, cultural, fairy tales, books, films and music). Over time these art forms have shown me how expressive arts enable us to communicate in different ways and inform my work as a counsellor, psychotherapist and arts therapist.
I am a relational psychotherapist and see this as the core of my work. I have worked therapeutically for over 15 years. I bring warmth, attunement and compassion to my relationships with clients as well as keeping the focus on the client's particular issues and where they would like to be. I bring my clinical experience and knowledge to facilitate clients to reduce the negative impact of uncomfortable feelings and to make different choices as change occurs over time. Using creative methods and the imagination enables thoughts and feelings we are not aware of or we don't have words for yet to emerge, so they can be reflected on together.
Alongside my private practice, I have worked in the NHS in an outpatient clinic, as a Lecturer at Regents University, a Trainer for the Awareness Centre, and in various therapeutic roles including: As a Schools Counselling Manager and student supervisor in central London; as a Training and Development Manager in a Community Counselling Agency, as a Children and Young People’s Worker and Trainer in a Women’s Domestic Violence and Abuse Centre, and as a Coordinator and Group Facilitator of a recovery programme for women and child survivors of violence.
MA in Integrative Arts Psychotherapy - Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education
Post Graduate Diploma in the Therapeutic & Educational Application of the Arts - Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education
BA (Hons) in Counselling - Greenwich University, London
Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling- Mary Ward Centre
Introduction to Cognitive Analytic Therapy - Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy (ACAT)
Therapeutic Life Story Work - Richard Rose
Group Facilitation with Children and Mothers - Against Violence & Abuse (AVA)
Restorative Approaches to Conflict - Restorative Action, Lewisham
Play, Drama and Art Therapy Techniques with Children and Adults - Playing Matters
I engage in regular CPD (Continually Professional Development) and clinical supervision to support my practice as a therapist. I will be starting the level one training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) in August 2023.
© Natalie Kennedy
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