Celebrating 18 Months of Growth, Impact, and Inspiration at TCCTP

Founding Directors Mary Rose Brady and Dr Patricia Watts

As we reflect on the last 18 months at The Centre for Creative Therapeutic Practice (TCCTP), we are filled with gratitude and awe. Since our founding in 2021, we’ve been dedicated to breaking down barriers and revolutionising how Creative Therapeutic Practice is integrated into the children and young people’s workforce. The journey has been both rewarding and inspiring, and we’re thrilled to share some highlights with you!

A Vision Taking Root

With over 30 years of experience in art therapy delivery, supervision and education, we’ve witnessed how transformative creative therapy can be in supporting children’s emotional, physical, and social development—especially during these challenging times with increasing numbers of referrals and rising waiting lists. 

Creative therapeutic practice offers the opportunity to process complex emotions nonverbally through the child friendly medium of art. Our two pronged mission is to:

1. Provide accessible training to the existing workforce

2. Enable them to provide effective early intervention to those who are waiting for services in order to mitigate their distress and prevent their symptoms worsening.  

The Last 18 Months: A Whirlwind of Growth and Collaboration

From schools and children’s hospices to universities and arts organisations, we have been privileged to work with a range of incredible professionals. Here are just a few highlights from our training programs:

• Supporting Autistic and Neurodivergent Children and Young People: our CPCAB endorsed training sessions have equipped professionals to confidently use creative therapeutic tools to connect with and support autistic and neurodivergent children in a range of settings.

• Hospice Training: we are proud to have been commissioned to deliver a five-day program to hospice staff to support neurodivergent siblings.

• Arts Therapists Training for the NHS: we were commissioned to deliver a targeted training in Autism and Neurodivergence to a team of Arts Therapists from an NHS Trust and in collaboration with a leading university.

• Specialist Training on Autism and Neurodivergence: our CPCAB endorsed course was also delivered internationally to practitioners from the UK, Jersey, Singapore, the Middle East, Turkey and Uganda to develop their practice and skills in working with autistic and neurodivergent children and young people.

• School Staff Wellbeing: we were privileged to facilitate a series of staff wellbeing workshops for a secondary school, empowering teams with strategies for identifying burnout, self-care, emotional regulation and resilience.

• International Impact: we were commissioned to devise and record a lecture for a leading medical university in China, focusing on ADHD, autism and neurodivergence which was delivered to medical and psychology students.

• Foundation Skills Course: over 8 weeks, we met with a range of inspiring children and young people’s practitioners who were invested in building their therapeutic knowledge and capacity to support children and young people on a deeper level.

• Reaching out to a Charity in Uganda: we are thrilled to have been able to offer free training places to a Ugandan charity, extending the reach of Creative Therapeutic Practice to underserved communities working with care experienced children and young people.

• Partnering with a Leading Arts Organisation: in an exciting initiative, we have joined forces with a renowned arts organisation to deliver Creative Therapeutic Training for school staff, helping them bring creative, therapeutic approaches into the classroom.

Responding to Your Needs: 2025 Training Calendar

Our 2025 training calendar is a direct response to the growing number of requests from therapists and children’s practitioners who are eager to address the rising need for safe, timely, and effective emotional wellbeing support for children. 

 You requested, and we listened.

In addition to our core training programmes we have expanded our offer to include:

• Supervision and Wellbeing Support: supporting the emotional resilience and self-care of staff working in challenging roles.

• Skills Refresher Courses: for therapists seeking to refresh and update their creative therapeutic skills.

These additions reflect our commitment to providing holistic support for the workforce, ensuring they feel confident, supported, and well-prepared to meet the needs of the children and young people they serve.

Introducing Our Associate Trainers

To expand our reach and deepen the impact of our work, we are proud to partner with a select group of highly experienced Associate Trainers. These experts bring their passion for developing cutting-edge practice with children and young people, ensuring the highest standards of training, support and delivery. 

Our Associate Trainers are all CPCAB-registered tutors and supervisors, qualified to Postgraduate or Master’s level in Art Therapy, Creative Therapy, or related fields. They are also registered with professional bodies such as HCPC, BACP, or UKCP, guaranteeing expertise and a commitment to ethical practice.

This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for TCCTP, allowing us to offer a wider range of specialist training programmes to practitioners across the children and young people’s workforce.

Celebrating Milestones

Our directors also achieved personal and professional milestones. Mary Rose trained as an certified ADHD practitioner and contributed to a new book by the former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, while Patricia  achieved a specialised qualification in Therapeutic Life Story Work and Co-Authored a research article in the International Journal of Art Therapy. These accomplishments reflect our shared passion for innovation and our own continuous learning.

Looking Ahead: 2025 and Beyond

The future is brighter than ever! We are proud to launch our CPCAB Accredited Level 6 Diploma Course in 2025, offering robust creative therapeutic training opportunities for the children’s workforce. This, in addition to our Specialist CPD, Endorsed Courses, and Tailor-Made Programs are designed to ensure that practitioners feel confident and capable in delivering creative therapeutic support.

We are unwavering in our mission: Early intervention is critical, and we are committed to equipping practitioners with effective tools to make a lasting impact.

 A Heartfelt Thank You

To all the organisations, professionals, and partners who have joined us on this journey—thank you! Your dedication and passion inspires us daily.

And most importantly, we extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the children and young people throughout our careers who have helped develop our practice to what it is today and teaching us what good practice is.

As we look ahead to the coming years, we are committed  to deepening our impact, expanding our reach, and continuing to revolutionise access to Creative Therapeutic training. Together, we can ensure that children and young people receive the timely support they deserve.

Here’s to more growth, learning, and meaningful change in 2025 and beyond!

No child should have to wait for support - let 's keep transforming young lives together.