Meet The Team

Our Management Team

Our dedicated management team is here Monday to Friday, ensuring smooth referrals to CATS therapists and overseeing the financial and administrative needs of our space. We work closely with our therapists to create a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment that truly meets your needs. We believe in continuous growth and value your feedback, questions, and ideas. Whether you're looking to begin therapy, join a community art program, or rent a space, we’re here to help.

Feel free to reach out to us at management@creativeartstherapiesspace.co.uk we would love to hear from you and aim to respond promptly within our working hours.

  • FOUNDER | DIRECTOR | OPERATIONS MANAGER

    HCPC REGISTERED THERAPIST - AS018614

    Mariana is the Founder of Creative Arts Therapies Space CIC (CATS), a community interest company dedicated to making therapy and community art programs more accessible. Her journey began with a BSc in Digital Arts and Design and an MA in Fine Arts. After working in adult care and as a nursery practitioner, Mariana’s passion for supporting individuals with mental health challenges deepened. She went on to complete her MSc in Art Psychotherapy in 2024, where she worked with families affected by substance misuse and domestic violence.

    Motivated by personal experiences and the challenges of long waiting times and limited therapy access, Mariana co-founded CATS with Jack our deputy manager to create a space that supports both service users and practitioners. As Operations Manager, Mariana works to bridge gaps in mental health support through creativity, connection, and inclusivity. She believes in the transformative power of art-making for personal and collective growth.

  • CO-FOUNDER | DIRECTOR | DEPUTY MANAGER

    HCPC REGISTERED ART PSYCHOTHERAPIST -
    AS018603

    Jack is an artist with a painting practice focusing on visual ambiguity and perception. He also has a small music practice of songwriting and recording. He is an art therapist for a Fife based third sector company in the children and young person’s team, working in primary and high schools. Within his art therapy practice he values art processes, mediums and materials, and believes the experience of making, in addition to relationship can address well-being.

Our Therapists

At CATS, we’re proud to have a team of independent, HCPC-registered creative therapists, each bringing their own unique approach to therapy. Our therapists are also registered with the ICO, ensuring the highest standards of professionalism and confidentiality.

While they work independently, they are supported through group clinical supervision and peer supervision, fostering a strong, collaborative community. Every therapist at CATS has undergone formal training in creative therapies, offering a diverse and compassionate approach to support your well-being.

(CATS team is currently composed of 12 therapists, we thank you for your patience as we update the Teams profiles)

  • ART PSYCHOTHERAPIST

    AVAILABILITY - FRIDAY

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS018592
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB866419

    Anna is an Art Psychotherapist. Her practice is psycho-dynamically informed with a strong focus on the therapeutic relationship, attachment, trauma, and the use of metaphor. Anna values connection with her clients and strives to co-create relationships that allow the therapy space to feel compassionate and safe. 


    Before pursuing a career in art therapy, Anna spent ten years working with vulnerable groups in both Scotland and Greece. Her experience includes roles as a caseworker, philanthropist, and project manager within the non-profit sector. She has worked with refugees and asylum seekers, children and young people from low-income backgrounds, and individuals with cerebral palsy. This background has reinforced her commitment to practising with integrity and empathy. She currently also works peripatetically across primary schools in East Lothian through a third-sector organization.

  • ART PSYCHOTHERAPIST

    AVAILABILITY - FRIDAY

    HCPC REGiSTRATION - AS018875
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB868069

    Catherine is a psycho-dynamically trained Art Psychotherapist and graduated from Queen Margaret University in 2024. She has extensive experience of working with children and young people in different settings.

    She also has training on supporting individuals with experiences of domestic and familial abuse.

    Catherine is also beginning to develop her interest in eco-art psychotherapy.

  • MUSIC THERAPIST

    AVAILABILITY - TUESDAY

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS018606
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB870114

    Andrea earned her MSc in music therapy from Queen Margaret University in July 2024, gaining experience in a variety of settings, including working with children with complex additional needs, adults in acute mental health settings, and those living with dementia. 

     

    Prior to this, she worked as a pupil support assistant in a primary school for 18 months and currently teaches violin privately. The impact of COVID-19 on children's mental health and her own experiences of anxiety and depression led her to begin her music therapy training. 

     

    Andrea’s approach is person-centred and resource oriented, focusing on the person’s existing skills and strengths to empower and encourage self-expression, and to build relationships through music. At CATS, Andrea is interested in working with children who are neurodivergent or suspected to be, stemming from her lived experience as a neurodivergent woman. 

     

  • ART THERAPIST

    AVAILABILITY - THURSDAY PM

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS018780
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB862479

    Florence (Flo) is an Art Psychotherapist. In therapy, she views her role as a supporter who works alongside you to help you feel safe/ brave enough to explore your inner world. It is essential to Flo that the therapy space feels like your own. There can be as much or as little art-making/ talking as you wish. Prior experience or interest in art is not necessary to benefit from art psychotherapy.

    Flo has experience working with those affected by trauma, chronic illness, anxiety, depression, social isolation, complex grief, learning difficulties, and societal oppression.

  • DRAMATHERAPIST

    (STARTING APRIL) AVAILABILITY - TUESDAY AM

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS018649
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB871616

    Becca is a HCPC Registered Dramatherapist (MSc) with experience working with both children and young people in a variety of settings, and adults experiencing challenges in relation to their mental health.

    She was a member of the first cohort to graduate from the MSc in Dramatherapy at Queen Margaret University and is passionate about the use of creative arts in therapeutic interventions and dramatherapy in Scotland.

    She likes to build safe, co-created therapeutic environments that allow people to explore their feelings, tell their stories and use play and theatre processes in the therapeutic journey. 

    Her approach is client-led and draws on psychodynamic theory which can help provide a holistic view on your life (for example, how your past may inform your present, and your future wishes).

    She believes that therapy can incorporate play, non-verbal communication styles and her main aim is to provide a safe space where clients can come to express themselves freely.

  • ART THERAPIST

    (STARTING APRIL) AVAILABILITY - MONDAY

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS018539
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB876130

  • MUSIC THERAPIST

    AVAILABILITY - THURSDAY AM

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS018716
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB873671

    Lara studied Music Therapy in Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Adopting a relational and client-centred approach, she works therapeutically with music to support self-esteem, creative expression, connection, identity, and feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety. She has previously worked in a variety of settings, such as secondary schools, NHS learning disability service and presently in Nursing Homes with older people with alzheimer's disease, stroke symptoms or acquired brain injuries. 

    Lara offers a wide array of ways of using music therapeutically, such as music listening, songwriting, playing together, music exploration, beat-making, singing and more. She plays various instruments such as the piano, saxophone and the guitar however no previous music experience is necessary for music therapy sessions, nor is it required to play instruments during the sessions.

  • MUSIC THERAPIST

    AVAILABILITY - WEDNESDAY AM

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS018782
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB871105

    Elspeth studied music in Edinburgh, graduating in 2010. Following her passion for adventure, she spent six years teaching skiing in both New Zealand and Switzerland. Music always remained a constant part of her life playing jazz guitar and learning to DJing playing across bars and clubs in Switzerland and Edinburgh. 

    In 2016, she returned to Edinburgh and began working in schools, supporting children with additional needs. It was during this time that she decided to combine her love for music with her work, leading her to pursue a degree in music therapy at Queen Margaret University.

    Since graduating in July 2024, Elspeth has led and managed two music projects in Falkirk, collaborating with both the local community centre and Falkirk High School. The projects aimed to create a safe and welcoming space where young people could come together, connect, and express themselves through music. Alongside this, she also works as a freelance music therapist working with both young people and adults who experience complex learning difficulties or mental health issues. 

    Elspeth is committed to leading person-centred sessions, always striving to create a safe environment where creative expression can flourish. She encourages both group and individual connections through the use of music and sound, nurturing a space where all participants can truly thrive.

  • ART THERAPIST

    AVAILABILITY - TUESDAY

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS017863
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB870093

    Anne’s art psychotherapy practice is informed by 23 years of experiences working with people with enduring and complex mental health issues, adults with learning and physical disabilities and children and young people in a variety of settings.  Anne is deeply passionate about the roles of art making and spiritual exploration in supporting mental health.  

    Anne’s approach is psychodynamic where clients can explore how past experiences including relationship difficulties and unprocessed emotions impact the present. Anne draws from principles of attachment theory, trauma-informed practice and Internal Family Systems. Anne values creating a collaborative space which feels safe, supportive and compassionate, building upon a client’s strengths. Sessions focus on exploring feelings through art materials and reflecting together which can support greater awareness, kindness, resilience and strengthen the sense of self. Anne graduated from Queen Margaret University in 2022. 

    Anne has a particular interest in working with individuals who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia and their relationship to creativity. 

  • ART THERAPIST

    AVAILABILITY - FRIDAY

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS018823
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB875264

    Helen is a compassionate and HCPC-registered art therapist with a background in public health, education, and creative arts. She takes a person-centred, non-judgemental approach, supporting individuals with learning disabilities, autism, and complex mental health needs. Her work is informed by her experience in health promotion and education, as well as her pottery apprenticeship, where she explores the therapeutic benefits of sensory engagement.

    Fluent in Mandarin and English, she provides culturally sensitive therapy, fostering self-expression and healing through art. With a deep interest in spiritual inner exploration, she integrates mindfulness and reflection into her practice, creating a safe and inclusive space for personal growth.

  • DRAMATHERAPIST

    (STARTING APRIL) AVAILABILITY - WEDNESDAY PM

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS017939
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB661491

    Abigail is a registered Dramatherapist specialising in working with neurodivergent clients and those with a history of trauma or difficult childhood experiences. She provides a safe, GSRD-friendly, and creative space tailored to each individual’s needs and goals.

    With a psychodynamic approach, Abigail helps clients explore their past experiences, current reality, and future hopes. She integrates story-making, art, movement and projective techniques to give clients tools to explore their inner world, gain new perspectives and authentically express themselves in a safe and creative space.

    With over eight years of experience working creatively with neurodivergent and disabled individuals, including five years as a trainee and qualified Dramatherapist, Abigail has supported clients in private practice, community organisations, and inpatient settings. She holds an MA in Dramatherapy and is currently completing an MSc in Psychology.

    Abigail welcomes those seeking to process life’s challenges or simply get to know themselves better. She offers free consultations to explore whether dramatherapy is the right fit.

  • ART THERAPIST

    AVAILABILITY - WEDNESDAY

    HCPC REGISTRATION - AS018326
    ICO REGISTRATION - ZB874079

    Silvia is a bilingual (Italian and English) Art Psychotherapist with a background in theatre studies and a passion for artistic expression.

    Silvia's therapeutic approach will be person-centred, drawing from psychodynamic theory and somatic awareness, and with a focus on lived experiences, social and cultural contexts in understanding the individual’s mental health journey.

    Through an inclusive, de-stigmatising, compassionate and trauma-informed approach, Silvia values working alongside the person to build a supportive and compassionate therapeutic relationship that can foster inner growth, resilience, consciousness raising, healing, and leads to self empowerment. 

    Her work and life experiences with children, youths, and adults in different settings in Italy, Poland and Scotland, shaped her commitment in practising through a culturally attuned and sensitive approach, and her enthusiasm in working with groups and community settings. Silvia's work experience includes working with individuals who experienced trauma, learning difficulties, neurodivergent, complex mental and physical health, experiencing homelessness and dealing with substance abuse or in recovery, isolation, anxiety, with a different cultural and ethnic background.