This document provides information about art therapy groups for people with eating disorders through the Nottinghamshire Eating Disorder Service (NEDS). It explains that individuals can be referred to the groups by their therapist or care coordinator. New referrals will have two assessment sessions to determine if art therapy would be helpful. Groups meet once enough people are referred and last for 12 weekly sessions. The document describes different types of art therapy groups and what to expect in the sessions.

1. REFERRAL FOR ART THERAPY GROUPS
You or your referrer can contact us at:
Nottinghamshire Eating Disorder Service (NEDS)
Dukeries Business Centre, 31-33 Retford Road,
WORKSOP, Nottinghamshire, S80 2PU
Tel: 01909 712 250 (Mon-Fri 9 - 5) Fax: 01909 712 400
State Registered Art Psychotherapist & Specialist Mental Health Practitioner
EMMA ALLEN
If you are living in the city or county
of Nottinghamshire or are already
accessing NEDS or FREED/Beeches
and have an eating disorder (i.e.
anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa)
and you are interested in joining an
art therapy group - you can ask your
therapist or your care co-ordinator
to refer you.
When a suitable referral has been
made, you will be invited to attend
two assessment sessions with the
art therapist and co-workers in or-
der to find out whether we both
feel that this form of therapy could
be helpful for you. Once we have
established the nature and descrip-
tion of the group, more detailed
arrangements and guidelines con-
cerning those sessions will be dis-
cussed and agreed with you.
You can find out more about Art Therapy on the BAAT (British Association of
Art Therapists) website: www.baat.org
AFTER-CARE - when your Art
Therapy Group has reached its end,
you may wish to continue engaging
in a group environment, and/or wish
to continue with your artwork. If so,
the Art Therapist may refer you to
other existing art groups, organisa-
tions or services.
“At last through the visual
language I had found my
voice and a confidence to
communicate”
From ’Arts Therapies & Clients
with Eating Disorders’, Warriner,
Dokter, 1995,
ART THERAPY GROUPS
Information about our service
Nottinghamshire Eating
Disorder Service
(NEDS)
about psychological therapies

2. WHY ATTEND AN ART THERAPY GROUP?
Art Therapy allows an opportunity to express feelings safely. If you are feeling
very anxious, you may find attending an Art Therapy Group relaxing and a time
for building on social relationships with other group members. Being a part of
an art therapy group can also help you to get in touch with your creativity and
capacity for spontaneity.
The therapist's focus is not on artistic ability but upon your involvement in mak-
ing your work, your perception of it and the ways in which you share this ex-
perience with the group. Visual images can provide a means of expression and
communication (with oneself or others) when words are difficult or impossible;
they can also become a focus for discussion, analysis and self-evaluation.
People with similar needs can provide mutual support for each other which may
help with mutual problem-solving. It may be an opportunity to learn from one
another. Through regular attendance of an Art Therapy Group, the group may
become a place where you can feel supported and trust one another.
Group therapy may be more suitable for those who have experienced individual
therapy as intimidating or too intense.
WHAT WILL THE ART THERAPY GROUP BE LIKE?
The Art Therapist will arrange to meet with you prior to the group start date
in order to meet and to discuss any queries or concerns you may have about
attending a group. This will also allow an opportunity for you to try using the
art materials before attending the group. You will also receive further informa-
tion about the nature of the group and the therapist will inform you of group
guidelines where together you can discuss what you wish to get out of the
group.
At the beginning of group therapy, warm-up exercises may be suggested, and
towards the end of therapy, members often enjoy making a group image. There
is the possibility of getting involved in group interactive art exercises and enjoy-
ing engaging with others in a verbal and non-verbal way. During the session you
will have the opportunity to talk, if you are ready to, with the therapist (and
other group members when present) about the process of making the image
and to share any thoughts and feelings you might have about the finished pic-
ture or other art objects. The Art Therapist will remain in the room through-
out the session, and will provide you with his or her attention, thoughtful re-
sponses to whatever arises during the session and with practical assistance. Af-
ter the session, your artwork will be safely stored in your personal folder until
you attend again.
The groups will take place once a minimum of four people attend, and there
will be a limit on the number of persons accepted into each group, therefore,
we may not always be able to offer a group at the time of assessment, but we
will be able to place you on the next available group.
Each group will run over a twelve week period. We would hope that you
would be able to attend at least six of these sessions.
The venue and location for these groups may vary, with the aim to be locally
available and accessible for all group members. You will have the opportunity
to discuss any queries or concerns you may have with the Art Therapist during
assessment.
'OPEN' GROUPS - These often suit people who have difficulty interact-
ing with others, but are willing to try a group, because here you work at
your own pace in your own way. You have control over how you use the
art materials and how long you stay in the session - you may attend the
group as briefly or as long as you feel you need to. You can also choose
whether or not you want to talk to others about what you are doing. The
Art Therapist (and possibly a co-worker/therapist according to numbers) is
present throughout the session to provide practical support, to listen, and
to respond thoughtfully to anything that arises. Group members work side
by side and a flexible approach is taken to meet individual needs’. Those
who attend ‘open’ groups may also be offered individual review sessions.
THEME-BASED GROUPS - These may occur where there is usually a
formal structure to the group with an introduction, the choice of a theme
(by the therapist or group members), and a time for group members to
draw or paint, followed by a time of sharing. Sometimes a theme may de-
velop out of members’ discussion at the beginning of a session.
'CLOSED' GROUPS - Such groups have a fixed membership and dura-
tion, and usually meet once-weekly. (A variation of this is the 'slow open'
group, which has a fixed number of places but periodically admits new
members as others leave). They may be provided for people who share a
common difficulty or experience. Sessions are divided into two stages. The
first involves using the art materials and making the image, allowing a time
for thinking and self-reflection. This is followed by group discussion - where
relationships, thoughts and feelings that emerge are explored in the pres-
ence of the therapist.