Art therapy-based organisational consultancy: a session at Tate Britain

Abstract

Looking at the increase of insecurity, anxiety and stress at work, the need for effective staff and organisational support has never been more evident. This article introduces art therapy-based organisational consultancy and describes its use for a session at Tate Britain with a staff team working within a Secure Unit for People with Learning Disabilities. The intervention was recorded and all art works photographed. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the session's content. The strongest themes identified through the discussions of art works and the staff's own art making are discussed and linked with the work context, the organisational dynamics and the human experience of working with such a marginalised client group. Implications for the practice and development of art therapy-based organisational consultancy are discussed.

Keywords:

• Art therapy
• art
• work-related stress
• secondary traumatic stress
• learning disability
• thematic analysis