Welcome to Self Portrait Art Therapy
What's On Offer
I’m Shona Young, a qualified creative art psychotherapist and integrative counsellor registered with the IACP. I work exclusively with adults, offering one-to-one therapy, group workshops, and downloadable resources. My practice centres on trauma, with art therapy as the foundation of how I help clients make sense of what they’ve been carrying.
My path into this work wasn’t theoretical. Before becoming a therapist, I worked in roles where trauma was part of daily life; managing Trust and Safety teams in corporate settings, taking calls in crisis centres, supporting capital defence teams in the U.S., and working with women reentering society after prison. Those experiences shaped how I understand trauma: not as an abstract concept, but as something that lives in the body, influences behaviour, and often sits beyond the reach of words.
Art therapy became the bridge between what people feel and what they can express. Creativity offers a way to approach overwhelming or unclear experiences when talking feels impossible or limited, and research has consistently shown that art therapy is more effective for trauma than talk therapy alone. In our work together, you can use words, images, or a mixture of both, whatever helps you access what needs attention. My role is to support you through that process at a pace that feels manageable and safe.
If you’d like to explore whether therapy with me is the right fit, I offer a free discovery call. It’s simply a chance to connect, ask questions, and get a sense of how we might work together. To book, fill out the form at the bottom of this page or email me at selfportraitarttherapy@gmail.com
Self Portrait
The name Self Portrait Art Therapy reflects my belief that you are the expert on your own life. Our lives are shaped by experiences, thoughts, emotions, ideas, relationships, and inner connections that only we can truly know from the inside out. In therapy, my role is to support and guide your exploration of your own mind and being, not to interpret it for you. I believe deeply in the healing power of art and its ability to help us access and express what words often cannot. Through the creative process, you’re able to look at different parts of yourself and make meaning from your experiences in a way that’s uniquely your own. In that sense, therapy becomes a metaphorical self-portrait, one that you create through reflection, expression, and self-understanding.
