In Edinburgh our Arts Psychotherapists work across Inpatient and Community Mental Health Services, both adult services and services for children and young people as part of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), this includes people with a measure of Learning Disabilities, Older People and those in our Forensic Services. We also have a team that support our care homes as part of the Complex Care service.
Inpatient Psychiatric Services
Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh
Mental Health Adult Acute Admissions
Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Art Psychotherapy:
Jenni Johnston (Inpatient Team Lead)
Mai Gorringe
Amelia Burns
Music Therapy:
Réiltín Nic Charthaigh Duill
Art and Music Therapy are offered on both a group and individual basis throughout the adult acute admission wards and Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit (IPCU).
Arts Therapists offer groups in communal areas which are available for patients, staff and carers to join. Patients are welcome to stay for a short while or for the entire session. During the session participants are encouraged to use art or music making spontaneously with the therapist to better understand themselves and to better understand relationships with others.
Arts Therapists form part of the Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) and help inform care planning.
Referrals are not required for the group or individual Art and Music Therapy sessions and they can be arranged on request.
Complex Needs and Frailer Adult Rehabilitation Service
Margaret Duguid Unit, North Wing – Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Music Therapy:
Reuben Hodkin
Art Psychotherapy:
Vacant
Referrals are not required for group or individual Arts Therapies session and they can be arranged on request, or in conversations within the Multi-Disciplinary staff Team
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Service
Andrew Duncan Clinic – Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Art Psychotherapy:
Margaret Zawisza
Art Psychotherapy:
Catriona Campbell
Music Therapy:
Réiltín Nic Charthaigh Duill
Referrals are not required for group or individual Arts Therapies session and they can be arranged on request, or in conversations within the Multi-Disciplinary staff Team
Older People Mental Health (OPMH)
Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Ward : Eden
Art Psychotherapy:
Gail LeMasurier
Wards : Harlaw | Canaan | Fairmile
Music Therapy:
Mary-Claire Lutz
Art Psychotherapy & Music Therapy is offered across the Older People Acute Admission wards. A session may be an individual, or open group session, the latter of which are open to friends & family (with patient consent).
Using the art form, we aim to:
- Explore a different way of getting to know each other – not just with words
- Explore, share and relieve difficult feelings
- Share our stories
- Be playful and have fun
As part of your care team, Arts Psychotherapists may share information within the team to ensure you receive the necessary and appropriate care from the multidisciplinary team (MDT).
Referrals are not required for group or individual Arts Psychotherapies session and they can be arranged on request, or in conversations within the Multi-Discplinary staff Team
The Orchard Clinic
Medium Secure Forensic Unit
Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Art Psychotherapy:
Megan Hatcher
Music Therapy:
George Chandler
The Orchard Clinic is a 40-bedded, medium secure forensic unit at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. The arts therapists provide art therapy to patients across the recovery journey in a variety of formats. Open groups support the needs of people spending time in the assessment wards and whole-clinic groups bring together staff and patients in art making. Closed groups allow patients to work together in a way that encourages a deeper exploration of self and interpersonal relationships. Where individual work is recommended, the therapists are able to support patients to work with more sensitive or personal issues at an appropriate pace. For those who are closer to making a return to life outside the hospital, sessions may take place a little further afield, making use of local natural environments and community facilities to support transition from secure unit to community living.
Referrals can made within the unit for 1:1 sessions. Ward based group work available to all service users.
IHTT (Intensive Home Treatment Team)
Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Art Psychotherapy:
Mai Gorringe
We provide specialist assessment, active therapy, treatment and the opportunity for recovery to people with a mental health problem. Our team gives people the choice and ability to live as independently as possible.
Learning Disability Services, Inpatient
William Fraser Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Islay Centre, Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Art Psychotherapy:
Gail LeMasurier
Music Therapy:
Alastair Robertson
We aim to make therapy interventions using art materials or music to build up a trusting therapeutic relationship, contribute to a global understanding of the person, and build up individuals’ tolerance and flexibility to support quality of life. In the longer term the arts therapies are an approach that can help more non-verbal patients to process adverse life events such as complex trauma and extended bereavement.
At the William Fraser Unit there is a regular Friday afternoon Music Therapy group that allows patients the opportunity to engage individually with the Music Therapist after the session if they wish.
Intermediate Learning Disability Services
FAST (Community Forensic Learning Disability Team)
Art Psychotherapy:
Megan Hatcher
MHIST (Mental Health Intensive support and treatment)
Art Psychotherapy:
Gail LeMasurier
Art Therapy at MHIST offers short term interventions aiming to support recovery from crisis. The work can be of benefit to individuals who have difficult personal life histories who may need to place and make sense of feelings from the past which continue to impact on current behaviour.
Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care (HBCCC)
Ferryfield, Prospect Bank and Ellens Glen House
Music Therapy:
Kassandra e’Silva
Music Therapy:
Emi Booth
Music Therapy is offered in the Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care units. Art Psychotherapy is offered in Thistle Ward only at Ellens Glen. HBCCC’s provide specialist care for Older People whose care needs cannot be met in any setting other than a hospital. Using music and art in this setting we aim to:
- Explore a different way of being together – without words
- Explore, share and relieve difficult feelings
- Focus attention on here-and-now, and where possible ease distress
- Be playful and have fun
As part of your care team, Arts Therapists may share information within the team to ensure you receive the necessary and appropriate care from the multidisciplinary team (MDT).
Referrals are not required for group or individual Arts Therapies session and they can be arranged on request, or in conversations within the Multi-Disciplinary Staff Team.
Community Mental Health Services
Adult Community Mental Health Services (CMHT)
Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) + PD Diagnosis Programme:
Improving Opportunities for Those Attracting a Diagnosis of Personality Disorder
South East + South West Edinburgh CMHTs
Art Psychotherapy:
Ashlynn Wardle
North East Edinburgh CMHT
Music Therapy:
Réiltín Nic Charthaigh Duill
North West Edinburgh CMHT
Art Psychotherapy:
Catherine Chalmers
We offer Art Psychotherapy and Music Therapy primarily in groups, supported by some individual work with a particular focus on providing Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) for patients who attract a diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), also known as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). This work is delivered through the Edinburgh Community Mental Health Teams in partnership with Action 15 funds and Thrive Edinburgh. The Arts Psychotherapies use a MBT framework with patients for whom relational injury and interpersonal difficulties are impacting on their daily lives, allowing patients to better regulate their emotions and more easily find connection with themselves and others.
Access to this service is by internal referral from the Community Mental Health assessment teams in each locality
The Cullen Centre
Eating Disorders Service for Adults (LEDS) Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Art Psychotherapy:
Fenella Hodgson
Art Psychotherapy is offered as part of the out-patient eating disorders treatments. Art psychotherapy has been shown to enable patients to gain a greater understanding of themselves and their eating disorder, improve focus, motivation, interpersonal and coping skills, reduce anxieties and distress brought on by life experiences, and helps build resilience.
Patients can access Art Psychotherapy after attending an initial assessment appointment at the Cullen Centre
The Cullen Centre, Tipperlinn Road, Edinburgh EH10 5HF. Tel: 0131 537 6655
https://services.nhslothian.scot/eatingdisordersservicesforadults
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Intensive Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS Tier 4)
Royal Hospital for Children & Young People
Music Therapy:
Claire McCarthy (Children & Young People joint Team Lead)
Art Psychotherapy:
Portia Velarde
Art and Music Therapy are offered to young people engaging with both inpatient and outpatient CAMHS Tier 4 services. We currently provide individual sessions available to all Tier 4 services and open groups delivered on the inpatient unit. The open group format allows young people to access the group at a pace and level of engagement that they feel comfortable with, meeting the young person where they are in that particular moment. The arts therapies offer a non-verbal means of communication to support the young person’s exploration of their sense of self as well as their relationships with others.
Patients can access the Arts Therapies Service through a number of routes, including open sessions held on the inpatient unit and via internal referral from the Tier 4 CAMHS multidisciplinary teams.
Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS Tier 3)
Edinburgh North Team
Music Therapy:
Duncan Campbell
Art Psychotherapy:
Becky Middleton
Edinburgh South Team
Art Psychotherapy:
Bel Baxter (CAMHS South Team Lead)
Art Psychotherapy:
Vacant
Music Therapy:
Vacant
Paediatric Psychology and Liaison Service
Royal Hospital for Children & Young People
Art Psychotherapy:
Pauline Colles
Play Therapy:
Lynn McSkimming
The Paediatric Psychology and Liaison Service (PPALS) is a specialist service within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), which addresses the mental health needs associated with physical health problems in children attending the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. A significant proportion of referrals received are for children struggling to adjust to their medical issue. Non-directive arts therapies are particularly affective in meeting this need.
Art psychotherapy at PPALS is currently provided in partnership with the Teapot Trust and the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, and is based in the outpatient building but can be delivered within the hospital inpatient or day case settings.
Referrals are made to the PPALS team, and can then be directed to the Arts Therapies. The child or young person must have a hospital paediatrician.
