A Professional Development Workshop for Arts Therapists facilitated by Miriam Saines, Registered Professional Arts Therapist (AThR) and Autistic Self-Advocate.
This professional development workshop is designed for arts therapists seeking to deepen their understanding of autism and develop neurodiversity affirming therapeutic practices. Led by an Autistic arts therapist with lived experience and professional expertise, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to gain insights into creating more effective, respectful, and empowering therapeutic relationships with Autistic clients.
The workshop challenges traditional deficit-based approaches and introduces participants to neurodiversity-affirming practices that honour Autistic ways of being, communicating, and experiencing the world. Practical strategies, artmaking examples, and experiential activities will provide participants with actionable tools to enhance their clinical practice.
This event is appropriate for ALL ANZACATA members. However, it is aimed particularly to new graduates and members who have little understanding, knowledge and experience of neurodiversity affirming practice and autistic identity.
Please note this workshop is delivered in 2 parts on consecutive Saturdays.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Describe autism from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective, using affirming language, and identify how this differs from pathologizing approaches.
- Address the intersectionality of autism and create sensory-informed and trauma-informed arts therapy spaces for therapeutic engagement.
- Expand their understanding of 'art' to encompass diverse sensory and social expressions relevant to Autistic clients.
- Support authentic emotion regulation without imposing neurotypical expectations.
- Incorporate special interests as therapeutic strengths rather than viewing them as distractions.
- Foster self-advocacy skills in Autistic clients of all ages
PRESENTER BIO
Miriam (she/her/they/them) is a late-identified AuDHD (autistic and ADHD) arts therapist, professionally registered with ANZACATA. She graduated with her Master of Arts Therapy from Western Sydney University in 2013 and practises on Awabakal Country at Newcastle Music and Arts Therapy. Miriam's lived experience, as an AuDHD person and parent, has significantly shaped her arts therapy practice, which is grounded in neurodiversity-affirming principles, and has led to her strong interest in Autistic culture and advocacy.
Miriam works predominantly with neurodivergent clients who identify as Autistic, ADHD, AuDHD, PDA, as well as those with diverse disabilities, and mental health issues across all ages and backgrounds. Her arts therapy practice combines professional expertise with authentic understanding, offering creative strategies that honour rather than change neurodivergent ways of being. newcastlemusictherapy.com.au.
When: Saturday 12 July 2025 (Part 1) and Saturday 19 July 2025 (Part 2)
Time: 10am–1.30pm AEST
(12pm NZST, 8am AWST/HKT/SGT)
including a 30-minute break
Duration/CPD: 6 hrs
Where: Zoom
Cost: $90 (+GST for Aust. members)
Open to: All members
Max: 20 participants
Recorded session: No (Privacy Reasons)
Cancellation Policy
When you register and pay to attend one of our events, you are holding a space on our calendar that is no longer available to other members. In order to be respectful of your fellow members and the presenter, please email us as soon as you know you will not be able to attend the event. We keep our events as affordable as possible and need to pay presenters the fee they request. While we understand sometimes urgent matters come up, if registrants cancel at the last minute, we struggle to pay presenters. A full refund will be given if the cancellation occurs more than 24 hours before the event. If the cancellation occurs less than 24 hours before the event, 50% of your registration fee will be refunded only to defray our costs.
