Welcome to the website of Drawing Within and also the Art Therapy studio and Therapeutic garden, where we strive to make everyone feel safe, supported and included. We know some groups can feel less safe attending organizations such as this, including: * Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities, * Refugee and multicultural communities, * Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse and Intersex (LGBTQI) communities, * Those with disabilities. You don't have to let us know if you identify as one of these groups, but we want you to know that if you do, that information will be confidential, unless you or someone else is at risk of hurt or harm. Also it will not affect the quality of the service we provide you. Drawing Within says no to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism.
Hi I’m Marie Bajada, a registered, professional Creative Arts Therapist with ANZACATA, practising as a mental health practitioner. My work is underpinned by my Master's level university training in Art therapy, education studies, neuroscience and many years of experience.
I enjoy working with children, young people and adults across their life span. My services are available Australia wide online, or face to face in the Ballarat, Grampians region and Moorabool shire of western Victoria.
There are many wonderful benefits of using Creative Arts to help you express, explore and unpack difficult experiences or life issues and gain new insights, meaning and healing for yourself. Creativity is in all of us and allowing it to have a voice, may help you find your voice in other areas of your life. A recent parent of a client I was working with stated "Art therapy is good because it doesn't rely on words, but uses 3D symbols and image cards to prompt communication and thought patterns."
You do not need to be artistic to participate and cannot make a mistake in this work. I will companion you along the way, as you experiment and play with modalities of your choice.
Collaboratively we will carefully select art materials and processes in sequential steps to assist you to move towards your mental health and life goals. I will offer you many different art modalities as a means of exploring your story. These include:
ANZACATA is the peak professional body for Art therapists in Australia, NZ and Asia. Please watch their video below explaining what Creative Arts therapy is and the work of Art Therapists.
Something about me
I am a story teller and a keeper of stories. Everyone has a story but not everyone has a chance to tell it or express it. My work is to use talking and art making to shine a light on other's stories and bring them safely out of the past, into the present and future.
I love how creative arts therapy helps people bring their stories out in a secure space. I love listening and witnessing my client's stories, like chapters in a book, the story emerges and slowly unfolds, moment by moment.
I love how the magic of using different art materials ignites a memory or a sensation buried deep, and out will pour another snippet of this precious life story before me.
I'm comfortable with beginnings of life and endings, and everything in between.
I remember a wise Art therapy lecturer asking some wide-eyed student art therapists at the end of their course- What was the most important part of a session? They bandied around many suggestions but couldn't find the answer. "The relationship," the wise one replied "and being present". This is something I intentionally work towards each session.
My qualifications are:
Memberships I belong to:
Esential Child Safe/ Health and Police Checks:
Networks I connect with:
NDIS
As a registered, professional Art Therapist with ANZACATA, I am available to offer Art Therapy as Therapeutic Supports to NDIS participants, who are Plan-managed or Self-managed using the following NDIS item details:
Please contact your local NDIS LAC (Local Area Coordinator), NDIS Support Coordinator for more details or contact me directly.
Inspiration
I'm inspired by Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann AM, an Aboriginal activist, educator and artist of the Ngan'gtiyemerri language group situated around the Daly river in Northen Territory. She is the first indigenous teacher to work in the Northern Territory and promotes Dadirri- Inner deep listening and quiet still awareness.
We all need some Dadirri time in our lives to quieten the mind, body and spirit. Click here to read and watch the video of Miriam Rose talking about Dadirri and be inspired.
Acknowledgement of Country
Drawing Within welcomes all communities and works in harmony with Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people, as the traditional owners and custodians of the lands, skies and waterways, where we provide services to the Wadawurrung, DjaDja Wurrung, Djab Wurrung and Jadwadjali peoples.
We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge their continuing culture and contribution to the life of this city and south western region of Victoria. Click her to view their Aboriginal flags
We are committed to providing safe therapeutic spaces to First Nations's people to connect to their culture, countries and communities, as well as celebrating the LGBTIQ community and fostering diversity and all abilities. Click here to view the new LGBTIQ flag
Contact me on:
I would love to hear from you.♥
