Art, nature, and lived experience take center stage in Rooted in Recovery, a new exhibition in Shrewsbury featuring artworks created by service users and staff from Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust’s (MPFT) Early Intervention in Psychosis Service.
By combining traditional art therapy with nature, utilising natural settings and materials for creative expression, nature-based art psychotherapy promotes emotional healing, social connection and mindfulness to improve mental wellbeing.
Created in Forestry England’s Haughmond Hill, the pieces reflect personal journeys of recovery, resilience and reconnection following first experiences of psychosis and related trauma. Through painting, drawing, sculpture and other creative processes, participants share experiences that can be difficult to express through words alone.
The exhibition at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery aims to challenge the stigma often associated with mental health whilst inviting visitors to consider how creativity and nature can work together to nurture reflection, healing and hope.
Tamsin Welldon, Art Psychotherapist and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Practitioner, and leader of the group, said: “Our nature-based art psychotherapy group provides a unique space where people can connect with nature, creativity and one another in a way that supports healing and self-expression.
“The artworks in this exhibition reflect the courage and resilience of the individuals who took part, who have explored experiences that can be difficult to put into words. By bringing these pieces together, we hope to celebrate recovery, challenge stigma around psychosis and highlight the powerful role that both nature and creativity can play in supporting mental wellbeing and connection.”
As well as benefiting patients, providing care in natural environments supports lower-carbon healthcare by reducing dependence on buildings with higher energy demands and the emissions they produce. In support of this approach, the nature-based art psychotherapy group was made possible through funding from MPFT’s Green Team, which provided annual access to Forestry England land.
Tamsin added:
“We were delighted that the group could continue throughout the summer heatwaves - urban forests can be up to 12°c cooler than surrounding built-up areas, creating a more comfortable environment for care. This highlights the importance of designing sustainable healthcare services that can adapt to the challenges of a changing climate, including more frequent periods of extreme heat.”
Rooted in Recovery is open daily, from 10am - 4pm until Monday 9 November.
