The Directors of Expressive Therapies
MARK PEARSON
M. Ed.(BEM) Dip T. Cert HB & TP Dip. ERC.
CONTACT MARK: info@expressivetherapies.com.au
Mark has been conducting courses in Expressive Therapies (ET) around Australia since 1989, and more lately in New Zealand and Asia.
Mark was originally a primary school teacher and then founded a remedial reading clinic in Sydney.
He has worked briefly with handicapped children and conducted individual and group programs for emotionally disturbed youth.
For five years Mark held a senior staff position at a training centre in the Blue Mountains, NSW, as lecturer in Emotional Release Counselling for Children, Breathwork Therapy, Dreamwork and Sandplay. He then directed courses at a centre in Toowoomba for eight years. He has completed further studies in Transpersonal Psychology with Dr Stanislav Grof, and holds a Masters in Education, majoring in Behaviour Management, and is busy with Doctor of Counselling studies, exploring links between Multiple Intelligence Theory and the therapeutic alliance.
One of the originators of Expressive Therapies, Mark now works as a psychotherapy and counselling trainer around Australia and Asia through the Expressive Therapies Institute. With partner Helen Wilson, he regularly runs programs for various welfare agencies and education departments around Australia. He has been a counsellor for eighteen years, working with adults, couples, adolescents and children. He is a member of the Australian Counselling Association. Mark works part-time as a lecturer in counselling at the University of Notre Dame, Australia, in Fremantle. While the Institute's courses, created by Helen and Mark are conducted around Australia and in Asia, Mark and Helen now live near Fremantle, in Western Australia.
He has recently addressed:
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Early Years Education Conference: Invited Speaker - Sandplay Therapy, Perth, September, 2009
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Australasian Pacific Play Therapy Conference: Invited Speaker - Sandplay Therapy, Launceston, August, 2009
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NSW Women's Refuge Movement, Sydney: Keynote address - Exploring the Story Without Words - Using Expressive Therapies in Counselling Children, April, 2008
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The Inaugural Sexual Assault Support Service Conference, Brisbane: Keynote address - Self-Care and Healthy Professional Boundaries, June 2008.
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The Association for Supervision, Coaching, Consultancy in Australia and New Zealand, Sydney: Keynote Address - Creativity in Supervision: Using Sandplay and Symbol Work, October, 2007
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The Rural Training Days for Guidance Officers of Ed Queensland, Hervey Bay, April 2007
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Women's Health Queensland Wide - Live Internet Presentation, March 2007
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Keynote address for the Creative Arts Association of Aotearoa (New Zealand), March 2007
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The first Australian Sandplay Conference: Sand and Psyche - Sydney October, 2006
Publications:
Co-author:
Emotional First-Aid For Children (1991)
Emotional Release For Children (1995)
Sandplay & Symbol Work (2001)
Using Expressive Arts to Work with mind, body and emotions (2009)
Author:
Emotional Healing & Self-Esteem (1998)
From Healing To Awakening (1991)
The Healing Journey (1997)
Articles:
'Guidance officer and counsellor perspectives on using expressive therapies to support students', (2003) Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, vol.13, no.2, pp.205-224.
Using Expressive Counselling Tools to Enhance Emotional Literacy, Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience: Improving Therapeutic Outcomes with Expressive Therapies. (2008) Counselling, Psychotherpy and Health, 4(1), 1-19.
Mark is creator of the new proactive school and agency groupwork program: The Innerspace Programs - Emotional Literacy for Student Wellbeing and Resilience (2006).
HELEN WILSON
M. Couns. B. Bus. (HRM) G. Dip. ERC. Cert SP Cert. HB & TP Cert. ERC.
CONTACT HELEN: turnaround2@bigpond.com
Helen has completed all three levels of training in Emotional Release Counselling and Transpersonal Studies and holds the Post Graduate Diploma. She has a Certificate in ERC with Children, a Certificate in Sandplay Therapy, a degree in Human Resource Management and a Masters degree in Counselling. Helen is a qualified trainer in Expressive Therapies and has also worked as a counsellor in private practice for the last 15 years. In 1998 Helen completed further studies in Transpersonal Psychology and Holotropic Breathwork with Dr. Stanislav Grof. She holds a Masters in Counselling, through UNE, where she was awarded the faculty medal. Helen is currently undertaking Doctor of Counselling Studies.
Previous experience includes several years in the field of anti-discrimination and anti-harassment within the tertiary education and public service sectors. Helen has been conducting professional training in expressive therapies for the last 12 years both through the Institute and previously at The Portiuncula Centre. Currently her main interests are in the field of perinatal studies and also the development of creative counselling tools. Helen conducts a private practice at Hilton (south of Fremantle), specialising in professional supervision and working with young clients.
She has recently addressed:
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The Rural Training Days for Guidance Officers of Ed Queensland, Hervey Bay, April 2007
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The first Australian Sandplay Conference: Sand and Psyche - Sydney October, 2006
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The Society for Counselling & Psychotherapy Educators: Gold Coast 2005
- Marco Creative Arts Trust, Auckland 2006
- University of Southern Qld - Guidance and Counselling Masters Students, Toowoomba 2004, Toowoomba 2005
- National Family Therapy Conference, Brisbane 2004
Helen spent 18 months as the staff and student counsellor at the University of Southern Queensland, Wide Bay campus, and has been writing courses for the university. Since January 2008, she has been a Lecturer in Counselling for the University of Notre Dame Australia, in Fremantle.
Publications
Wilson, H. (2005). Pre- and Peri-Natal Psychology and the Training of Counsellors. Society for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education – 2005 National Conference Proceedings.
Pearson, M., and Wilson, H. (2008). Using Expressive Counselling Tools to Enhance Emotional Literacy, Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience: Improving Therapeutic Outcomes with Expressive Therapies, Counselling, Psychotherpy and Health, 4(1), 1-19.
Co-author:
Sandplay & Symbol Work (2001)
Using Expressive Arts to Work with mind, body and emotions (2009)
As important as Mark and Helen's qualifications and experience are, of equal note is what participants and graduates of Expressive Therapies Institute say about their experiences. Click Here
