Emma Gentle

Dr Emma Gentle is a researcher and an art therapist. Emma completed her PhD (USyd) on the capacity of group art-making processes to form connection. She has a MA in Art Therapy (UWS) where she researched the impact of art therapy on incarcerated young people, and explored identity through art-making processes. Emma also completed a MA in Applied Anthropology, Community and Youth Work (GU), with a dissertation on the efficacy of community arts projects in creating individual and social change. She completed under graduate diplomas in both psychology and applied psychology (BU). Emma’s research explores the capacity of art and creativity to improve mental health and promote wellbeing. In practice, Emma utilises art processes to: 1) cultivate unencumbered expression of difficult feelings; 2) for story-telling; 3) to increase connection; 4) to reduce stigma; and 5) as a creative recovery tool. 

Emma’s current work focuses on the impact of recent disasters on indviduals and their communities, pre-school children and young people with complex trauma backgrounds, families experiencing D.V, and people with mild and complex support requirements through the NDIS. Her previous work predominantly concentrated on using art processes to improve the mental-health of children, young people and families in Australia, UK and Mexico.