Our Team

Our team is made up of deep listeners, creative thinkers and skilled communicators.

Monica Finch (AtR)

Monica has been involved in the healing field for over 20 years, helping people become more aware of the mind-body-spirit connection and to live a more authentic life.

Monica is inspired by our ability to survive adversities, and that given a safe space and nurturing connection the human spirit has the capacity to repair and recover.

Seeing a lack of specialist Creative Art Therapy services in the Greater Ballarat region, Monica established Ballarat Art Therapies in 2015. Passionate about building a service that meets the needs of clients, Monica shares her knowledge with other professionals by providing Professional Supervision, presenting at Conferences and contributing to publications.

Qualifications: Masters Art Therapy (Latrobe University), Cert in Clinical Supervision, Advanced Diploma Transpersonal Art Psychotherapy (Phoenix Institute), Diploma Clay Field Therapy (Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy), Diploma Visual Arts, Diploma Community Health, Alcohol & Other Drugs and Mental Health and Family Violence, Cert in Expressive Therapies and Sand Play (Children & Adolescents), Cert in Small Figure Therapy (Attachment and Systemic Systems), Cert in Expressive Art Therapies for Trauma, Accelerated Trauma Recovery Mandala Workshops, Bruce Perry Workshops, Circle of Security, Cert Compassionate Inquiry with Gabor Mate

Additional: Professional Registered Art Therapist and Counsellor (ANZACATA), Approved Supervisor (ANZACATA)

Tegan Neville

Tegan has been helping, guide and inspire others to explore within to heal and grow using intuitive art and art therapy for the past 5 years.

Tegan’s personal experience has shown her that the biggest healing and growth can occur through inner work and connection to true self, using art as the primary tool helping to connect with your innate wisdom and light.

Tegan is experienced in delivering a range of art therapy activities to both individuals and groups including guided drawing, music play and other creative art therapy sessions and has delivered workshops in the community including schools and the Mother and Family Unit (BHS).

Qualifications: Diploma of Counselling (Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors), Cert in Initiatic Art Therapy (Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy), Cert Sensorimotor Art Therapy: Work At The Clay Field (Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy), Certificate of Completion: DRUMBEAT Facilitator Training (Holyoake), Bachelor Arts - International Studies (University of Ballarat), Bachelor Business (University of Ballarat)

Lyn Duffton

Lyn has been using art in her work with adults and children with special needs for over 40 years in a variety of roles both internationally and regionally. As an Art Therapist Lyn has witnessed again and again how art not only allows people who may not have a voice, a means to communicate, but also enables self learning in a way that respects the individual.

Using art as a way to address behavioural issues in a gentle, non-confrontational way, Lyn has run workshops on aging, coping with transitions, and exploring self with groups of adults with intellectual challenges.

Lyn is particularly interested in allowing self learning through doing, self awareness through what is created by participants and allowing freedom of expression for everyone regardless of ability. Lyn believes that Art makes these meetings possible, like music, it can become a language beyond words.

Qualifications: Post Grad Diploma in Creative And Expressive Art Therapies (MIECAT), Post Grad Dip of Integral Art Therapy, Diploma Sensorimotor Art Therapy (Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy), Diploma in Transpersonal Art Psychotherapy (Phoenix Institute), Cert in Expressive Art Therapies with Children, Cert in Expressive Art Therapies for Trauma, Integral Expressive Arts Therapy Training, Colour Therapy Training and Introduction to Narrative Therapy.

Tina Handley

Tina began her training and professional career working with people with disabilities and has since worked in many areas including Mental Health, Child Protection, Primary Schools and CASA, Tina’s experience is vast including forensic mental health, eating disorders, Mother/Baby inpatient support programs, supporting children and families, sexual assault advocate/counsellor and various group work.

After studying Child Centred Play Therapy, a passion for play therapy and opportunities for children to express themselves through play and creativity was sparked as play offers a non-confrontational and non-directive way for children to express their experiences.

Additionally, Tina is enthusiastic about the delivery of group work such as Tuning Into Kids for parents and Circle of Security, DRUMBEAT and Peaceful Kids.

Qualifications: Master of Social Work (Federation University), Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Clinical Nursing - Psychiatric Nursing (Melbourne University), Postgraduate Diploma of Play Therapy Australia (Modules 1-6), Circle of Security Training, Peaceful Kids Training, DRUMBEAT Facilitator Training (Holyoake), Tuning into kids (Mindful Institute), Bachelor of Applied Science (Intellectual disability Studies (RMIT)

All our team members have current Working with Children Checks, Police Checks and First Aid Certificates and have completed the Disability Workers Exclusion Check. Additionally all team members complete regular supervision and professional development.