Art Therapy in Special Schools (Aus) - Isabella Dinale, Rachel Holland & Tori Day

This episode is a deep dive into the practice of Art Therapy in special schools. Rather than hearing just one persons experience, I thought it would be powerful to sit in conversation with three Art Therapists working in special schools in Narrm/Melbourne Australia. My hope is that this episode shines light on the expertise and creativity of Art Therapists practicing in this setting, and gives listeners a real sense of the complexity and richness of the work.Guests:Isabella Dinale (she/her) is an ANZACATA-registered Art Therapist with a passion for using creativity to support the emotional well-being and development of children and young people. She currently leads the Art Therapy program at Hume Valley School, a specialist setting for students with mild intellectual disabilities, where she has designed and facilitated a range of innovative therapeutic initiatives. These include group and individual art therapy sessions that foster emotional regulation, self-expression, and social connection; sensory-based art programs supporting students with complex needs; and creative wellbeing mural projects that engage the whole school community.Isabella holds a Master of Art Therapy and a Bachelor of Psychological Science from La Trobe University and has worked across diverse clinical and educational contexts. Her practice is grounded in compassion, playfulness, and trauma-informed approaches, supporting young people to express themselves, process emotions, and build resilience through art-making.Through her work, Isabella continues to advocate for the transformative role of the arts in education and mental health, helping young people to find their voice and thrive through creative expression.-Rachel Holland (she/her) is an Art Therapist working across education, justice and community settings in Victoria. Her practice spans across a specialist school, substance use recovery programs via the Magistrates' and County Courts (Vic) and private art therapy services supporting children and families impacted by mental health challenges, trauma and domestic violence. Rachel also runs creative workshops from her home studio and within community spaces, where she brings people together through artmaking, reflection and shared [email protected] Day (she/her) began her journey into the world of Art Therapy after completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts, photography, and discovering that there was a way to weave together her love of creativity with her interest in humans, wellbeing, and mental health. After completing a Masters of Art Therapy, she began a professional journey at what was previously my first student placement – a school for young people with mild intellectual disabilities, where she continues to work today, while sub-contracting additional work.Tori's art therapy practice is centred around neurodiversity-aQirming principles, ensuring autonomy, self-advocacy and advocacy, and a strengths-based lens are at the fore, always. Tori's work sees her utilising interoceptive and somatic lens’ frequently, in conjunction with approaches such as DBT-informed art therapy, mindfulness-based art therapy, and both a trauma-informed and relational approach.