16 May 2026 | Darkness & Light: An Exploration in Charcoal | 1-Day Workshop | In-Person

Light and Darkness are intangible, indivisible polarities yet their interaction reveals the shapes and colours of the world to us. Without one, the other cannot be fully experienced.

Sometimes we struggle to help our clients find a comfortable place between the darkness and the light. Sometimes there are no words or images, which can convey how we feel, but deep within us, there are moods, tones and sound.

Charcoal is soft, quietening and calming. It is a gentle medium, which can be used for self-soothing, self-regulation and recalibration. It is a forgiving substance, which can be easily worked and erased and allows us to explore the realms of tone and nuance.

In this workshop, we will discover the therapeutic potential of working with charcoal. We will be creating darkness and seeking light within the darkness, through mark making, therapeutic exercises and bi-lateral drawing.

This workshop will be useful for working with clients who struggle with darkness or with light and the many shades in between.

“I really enjoyed the day……I got a lot from practical reflection time and the measured pace of the delivery. I felt invigorated by the reminder to consider the potential depth in the material, for the clients; the metaphorical and the senses including the felt sense.” Sue, Art therapist. 

“Rewarding and wonderful, I was reminded of the sensory quality of charcoal. I enjoyed the exercises, how you unite language with exploration. I’ve already introduced the power of charcoal to my clients. Many thanks” Lisa, Art Therapist. 

“The part I found especially cathartic was the charcoal light and shade image. Something very deep has shifted as a result.”  CW, Counsellor.

Facilitator:

Marion Green

Marion is a former social worker specialised in child protection, school based social work and adoption. As an art psychotherapist, she has worked with men and women in the penal system, psychiatric care, primary aged children and their parents, traumatised adolescents, the chronically sick and dying, with homeless women and women working in the sex industry.
She is a clinical supervisor, workshop facilitator and visiting lecturer, specialising in the themes of Burnout, maintaining resilience and working with traumatised people. Marion has been a regular seminar leader at the annual International Anthroposophical Art Therapy conference at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. She has taught in Honduras, Spain, Georgia, South Africa, Taiwan and the Philippines and presented papers for Confer Psychotherapy events UK.
Marion has published articles on Burnout and is a chapter co-author in the book Art Therapy with Neurological Conditions. (Ed. S. Weston and M. Liebmann published Jessica Kingsley 2015).
In her spare time she walks, works in her garden and carves alabaster.