National Art Therapy Conference 2021

Diana Kayafa is an HCPC and BAAT registered Art Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor with a Diploma in Integrative Supervision and an academic background in psychology. Diana is a core member of staff at the MA in Art Psychotherapy programme at Goldsmiths university and has been teaching in the field of the arts therapies as a guest lecturer in various universities around the world for 10 years. Diana’s clinical expertise lies in Palliative Care and Bereavement while she has worked extensively in adult mental health settings, mainstream and special needs education, and is currently in private practice. She works as a Registration Assessor for the HCPC. On an international level, Diana has been a founding member and supervisor for the 4ArTS (International Encounters for Arts Therapies Students) which was initially linked with ECArTE (European Consortium for Arts Therapies in Education). Diana also works for the Art Psychotherapy training programme in Greece which is accredited by the European Association of Psychotherapists and contributes to the promotion of the profession in the country through conferences, individual talks and collaborations with other arts therapies professionals.

Hephzibah Kaplan RATh is a UK-trained art psychotherapist and psychotherapy supervisor. She qualified in psychodynamic art therapy in 1998 and in transpersonal psychotherapy supervision in 2005. From 2004-2010 she was art therapist at the Arbours Crisis Centre, one of the last remaining therapeutic communities, set up by Dr. Joseph Berke who worked closely with R.D. Laing at Kingsley Hall. In 2010 Hephzibah set up London Art Therapy Centre, the first group practice for art therapy in central London where she is Director and has her current practice, seeing adults, children, art therapy trainees and supervisees. She has presented and taught art therapy to health care professionals in Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Japan, South Africa and the UK.

With over 25 years experience, Mirella has extensive knowledge of working as an Art Psychotherapist with children and adolescents. Mirella has worked in educational settings, the voluntary sector, local authorities, charities and is also a private practitioner. Mirella is registered with the Health & Care Professions Council, (HCPC), and is a member of the British Association of Art Therapists. Mirella graduated with an MA in Art Psychotherapy from Goldsmiths University of London.

Sophia Cowx is a Trauma-Informed Art Psychotherapist trained in EMDR. She is registered with HCPC, BAAT (British Association of Art Therapists) and the EMDR Association UK & Ireland. She currently works as an Art Psychotherapist in Secondary Adult Mental Health Care across two NHS Trusts alongside her private practice where she is working towards EMDR accreditation.She obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons.) in South Africa in 1997. She qualified as an Art Psychotherapist in the UK in 2008. Post qualification she took on a number of honorary roles before paid practice working with adults diagnosed with personality disorder and addiction (NHS) as well as military veterans diagnosed with PTSD (Combat Stress). In 2017, under British-Ukrainian Aid, she travelled to Ukraine to work with Warm Souls, a charity running retreats and art workshops for active volunteer soldiers and veterans enduring PTSD. In 2017 she ran a trauma-informed workshop for art counsellors in South Africa at Lefika La Phodiso. In 2016 she founded “The Poppy Collective” as a form of art activism. Under the auspices of this group she has hosted Art Psychotherapy-informed refugee-themed community events, at home, on the streets and in her local museum. Projects by The Poppy Collective are organically developing alongside her Art Psychotherapy practice.