Tom Schwab

HCPC registered Art Therapist
BAAT registered private practitioner

Available in-person on Friday afternoons/evenings

There is a freedom to art-making that is extremely powerful. It’s an incredible tool that is not only reflective, but healing too. Providing people with the support and encouragement to create and express their inner world, regardless of their ‘ability’ to do so, is a great privilege to experience.

Art therapy also gives the opportunity for clients to communicate where there isn’t a pressure to try and find the ‘right’ words. Instead, they can express in an instinctual way not bound to verbal language. Clients can bring themselves to this therapy that may have initially been difficult in a non-arts-based practice. They can tell their story in a safe environment in a multi-faceted way with many artistic tools at their disposal.

I completed my MA in Art Therapy at the University of Hertfordshire in 2019 following a degree in Fine Art at the University of Portsmouth in 2012. Alongside my private practice, I work in mainstream education with children and adolescents, providing a safe and accessible space without judgement. This support has included working with young people who have a background of abuse, mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, SEN, ASD, ADHD. I’ve also supported children of colour, LGBTQ+, working class young people and from other marginalised, intersecting backgrounds.

I have a calm and relaxed manner and practice a person-centred approach, enabling a variety of theory to be drawn upon to best support the client. I recognise that factors, including race, gender, class, disability, and other identities and economic situations, can affect the clients experience of the world and the challenges that they face. As a man of mixed heritage, I’ve been able to bring my understanding and experiences to the room and in my practice.