Reclaim joy through creativity

At Mark and Movement, I believe creativity is a pathway to healing and wholeness. I offer a space where you can rediscover your joy through the creative process, express yourself freely, and experience personal transformation through art therapy.

I believe that creativity creates space for us to express, release and soothe. It has the power to show us different version of ourselves that we never could have imagined before.

About me

Hi, I’m Mary-Helen, a Transpersonal Art Therapist and I help people reclaim joy through creativity.

I have experience working with diverse groups, including children, teens, and adults, in settings ranging from community workshops to one-on-one therapy sessions. I’ve collaborated with organizations such as Georges River Council & Libraries, City of Sydney, NDIS providers, and local community youth arts organizations, which has deepened my understanding of creativity's transformative power within community.

My approach is rooted in the belief that everyone has the capacity for creativity and that creativity is an energy that has the power to transform our lives. I gently guide participants as they explore their inner worlds and make sense of the world they live in. Together, we work to with compassion and patience, to acknowledge where they are at and forge new pathways towards renewed joy and purpose in their daily lives.

Why I do what I do

I believe that joy is our true nature, but in the busyness of life, it often gets lost. My mission is to help people reclaim that joy through creativity, reconnecting with themselves in a deeper, more meaningful way. I’ve seen firsthand how creativity and art can bring healing and transformation, and I’m passionate about sharing that with others and inviting others into the experience.

To enjoy and to be enjoyed brings energy and wholeness to our lives. Healing comes through rediscovering our true joyful nature and sharing it with others.

Who I work with 

I have the pleasure of working with groups of people—children, teens, and adults; with or without disability. These experiences are aimed at inclusivity, connection and sense of wonder and joy.

In my one-on-one art therapy sessions, I primarily work with people who are ready to reclaim joy in their lives. If you’ve been feeling unsatisfied, ambivalent, or craving something more but aren’t sure what that is, or if dreaming big feels overwhelming, we can gently and patiently explore this together through creativity and the transperonal lens.

We’ll step off your usual path and into the creative terrain, uncovering parts of yourself that may have been lost through conditioning. Together, we’ll work to creatively and compassionately integrate these parts, helping you reconnect with your joy and find new ways of being in the world that meaningful and fulfilling.

Through creativity, we build relationships, discover common ground, and celebrate our differences, turning isolation into collaboration.

Ways to with me

Individual Art Therapy

Personalized art therapy focused on individual needs, providing a safe space for emotional exploration and personal growth. Find out more about 1:1 art therapy.

Workshops

Tailored workshops designed to meet the specific needs of your group, community, workplace or organization, promoting creativity, emotional well-being and social connection. I run monthly Get Crafty workshops for adults at Georges River Libraries.

Groups

Art as therapy groups that are a collaborative setting where you’ll engage in creative activities that foster connection, expression, and self-discovery.

Collaboration

Partnering with other practitioners to deliver niche groups and workshops that cater to specific interests and therapeutic goals.

Creative Challenges

Every year I run a FREE 30 Day Drawing Prompt Challenge to help people develop an accessible and fun daily creative practice. Find out more here.

1000 hearts project workshop
Values to hold workshop
Weaving workshop
Clay & Nature bowls
Nature inspired art response
School holidays Macrame workshop

Testimonials

  • “Thank you again so much for our sessions. They've taken me on an inspired process of art making. Amazing! Your kindness and presence helped me alot.”

    Jen L, Art Therapy participant

  • “Thank you Mary Helen, It is wonderful to give myself the permission, with your prompting and encouragement to stop, play and explore creativity! The music is delightful. Thank you for reminding me to focus on the simple pleasures of many different art mediums. Your sessions bring much needed catharsis and I am always in awe of the interesting and organic creations that appear.”

    Workshop participant

  • "Mary-Helen's Create Play sessions were little pockets of joy in my week! They were time to chill out, play and make a mess, with absolutely no pressure. I loved coming together at the end to share our explorations - what a special thing to share with other people around the world."

  • "Starting my week with create and play workshops has become my favourite way to start my week. I attended every monday morning and to wake up and have the opportunity to get messy and play really clears my mind. These workshops really allowed my inner child to play with no expectations or idea of what was going to be created; and that is the magic of Create and Play workhops.”

  • "Create Play is such a precious half hour in the week where you get to pay attention to tacticle enjoyment and exploration! It is SO fun! and Mary-Helen is so supportive and encouraging :)”

  • "I found myself looking forward to Create Play, as a little highlight of my week each time. Mostly because of the creative buzz it gave me. There's something about spontaneous play that just sends my creative vibes through the roof and keeps me going for days. "

Start your creative journey today

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Come along and celebrate International Day of People with Disability and enjoy a fun 2 hour free form weaving workshop with afternoon tea. I like to think of weaving as a collage that can move. Enjoy exploring the colourful and textured materials a
Me with my favourite tree 🌳 Sometimes I get a little sad when I visit the tree. I can see people have scratched their names into its trunk. I needn't be so sad though, this tree sheds that shit right off. This tree is strong. This tree stand
Creating to destroy 🔨 Somedays I don't feel like making "stuff." It feels too overwhelming to create a new "thing" and then to have to find a home for it. So I don't. Instead, I construct then demolish. It's a very satisfyi
WOW! I can't believe we are already 1 week into the #30daydrawingpromptchallenge2024 One of things I least about this challenge is that it goes to fast! Being in the privileged position of getting to see a lot of the daily artworks I wish I could
Photo dump? 1. Cockatoo 2. Even my art is flipping me the bird 3. Forever feeling 4. I thought this cicada was dead, it was sleeping 5. Sweet & gentle imagination sessions 6. Day 7 #30daydrawingpromptchallenge2024
👀 come see my painting I've been sweating and pulling hair out over for the last 7 weeks. I recently completed Carmel Bryne 7 week Painting II course where we picked a master painting to figure out and recreate. I chose a Bonnard, love his colours
Come along to free open day at Reginald Murphy Community Centre at Potts Point on November 8th. There will be lots of activities to enjoy during the day, including a Slow Stitching Leaves drop-in workshop from 11:30am-1:30pm facilitated by me. This
Sharing some thoughts on Substack about getting stuck before you've even started and some ideas to overcome it. Read on Substack: @markandmovement #30daydrawingpromptchallenge2024
As we kick off the #30DayDrawingPromptChallenge2024 and this year I'll be sharing reflections, tips, and insights on my Substack throughout the challenge. So much wisdom comes through during this endurance challenges so I wanted a place to store i
Day 1 is here of #30daydrawingpromptchallenge2024 As I sat down to look at Day 1 prompt I was a little overwhelmed. So many ideas. What would be the "right" idea to choose? What would be the best? Suddenly I was wondering away from m