Meet Lucy – “The theory that I learn about at Sheffield Hallam University really complements the learning on the job that I do at Sheffield Children’s.”

Meet Lucy!

Lucy is completing a master’s degree in art therapy at Sheffield Hallam University alongside a part-time role at Sheffield Children’s as a Trainee Art Therapist. Whilst at Sheffield Children’s, she supports the Sheffield Eating Disorders Assessment and Treatment Team (SEDATT) to deliver outstanding care for children and young people across South Yorkshire and beyond.

After first hearing about the role of an art therapist as a child, Lucy leapt at the opportunity to work at Sheffield Children’s whilst studying. Her employment at Sheffield Children’s since February 2024 marks the first time that the SEDATT Team has taken on a student in this role.

Lucy said: “I’ve always been interested in working with children and already have experience in that area from previous positions. I’ve also always been a creative-minded person, so art therapy really stood out to me as a career path that I wanted to follow. This role means that I can put my passions into practice whilst getting to know and supporting patients and families over an extended period, which is very important to me.”

What is art therapy?

Art therapy is a type of psychotherapy in which patients are encouraged to use art to express emotions which they might otherwise find distressing. One of 14 Allied Health Professions, the third-largest clinical workforce in health and care, art therapists support children and young people by providing a safe environment for them to express themselves in creative ways.

Lucy said: “Sometimes, giving patients a different medium in which they can express their feelings can bring up things that they never felt able to talk about in the first place. It is important then to give them the space to talk about what they have created afterwards, so that they can process those emotions.”

How can art therapy support children and young people managing eating disorders?

With Lucy’s help, the SEDATT team have been able to further expand their caregiving offer for patients and families and have been able to see the benefits of that for patients and families that they see.

Nomakhosazana Ndhlovu, Leader of the SEDATT team, said: “Working with Lucy has marked an exciting new direction for the service. We’ve had the opportunity to learn from Lucy’s unique skillset as a trainee art therapist and have seen firsthand how art therapy can support the patients and families that we see. It has also helped us to meet national guidelines for caring for children and young people with eating disorders and we’ve been excited to introduce creative therapies in eating disorders.”

During her time supporting the SEDATT team at Sheffield Children’s, Lucy has grown in confidence and developed key skills which will support her in her future career aspirations. Lucy said: “When I began, I found it really valuable to sit in on assessments with the rest of the team. I was in a new environment, putting into practice the skills that I was learning about on my course, and I hadn’t worked in the NHS before. Everyone on the team was really helpful in helping me settle in, and I have an Art Therapy Supervisor from a different CAMHS service who has supported me with practical questions, self-reflection and professional development through-out my time here’”

Collaborating with Sheffield Hallam University

Alongside her placement at Sheffield Children’s, which she attends every Friday, Lucy also spends time refining her trade at Sheffield Hallam University. As a student on The Northern Programme’s Art Psychotherapy (MA) course, she learns all about the theory of art therapy, which informs her practice at Sheffield Children’s. Lucy said: “The theory that I learn about at Sheffield Hallam University really complements the learning on the job that I do at Sheffield Children’s. Both worlds combine to create a really complete picture and will hopefully put me in a good place when applying for roles on the future.”

Paula Rolston, Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, added: “I’m inspired when I hear about the work our art therapy trainees carry out whilst on placement, especially how they are able to create therapeutic space where patients can express feelings that can be difficult to put into words. Lucy is a reflective and committed trainee, who has taken a person-centred and collaborative approach to her work with the SEDATT team.”

“At Sheffield Hallam, we’re working with a growing number of NHS placement providers across the region, and we have been thrilled to establish a partnership with Sheffield Children’s. We’re looking forward to expanding our partnership and continuing to offer students the opportunity to support patients and families alongside their learning.”

What’s next?

Whilst Lucy’s year-long placement at Sheffield Children’s will come to an end over the coming months, Sheffield Children’s is still looking forward to offering more placements in future and continuing to work closely with Sheffield Hallam University.

Charlotte Allen, Lead Creative Psychotherapist in CAMHS, said: “It’s great to see how openly the SEDATT team have welcomed and supported Lucy to be the first Art Psychotherapist student in their team. We have a long tradition of offering placements to Art Psychotherapists in inpatient and community CAMHS and are looking forward to offering even more these placements in future. We want to open this up to different teams, and make sure that they are supported with robust arrangements in place from CAMHS Art Psychotherapists who provide clinical supervision throughout the placement.”

We’d like to thank Lucy for her time and wish her the best of luck as she moves onto the next phase of her degree qualification.