About

Francie Therapy offers an intuitive, alternative, curious, calm & creative therapy approach by using art tools, materials and modalities in the therapeutic specialty of arts psychotherapy.

Facilitated by arts psychotherapist Cassandra-Francine Knoppert. She is intuitive, easy going, and has a great appreciation for the power of art along with the power of the subconscious mind on our overall wellbeing and its capacity to heal, change us & offer invaluable insight into our subconscious perspectives of our world.

She is certified in a clinical provision Bachelor of Arts Psychotherapy and maintains a tier membership with her professional body ANZACATA.

What is Arts Psychotherapy?

And why would I come to see you?

It is a subconscious form of psychotherapy utilising art materials, modalities and symbology. Basically… (although we are complex) art is a communication tool and language that the subconscious mind understands and through that we can make cognitive sense of what is being shown, heard, felt or sensed.

There are often times where someone is aware they need to work through an event or mental health challenges but words are too difficult to communicate or add to rumination of thoughts. Art can step in at these moments and having someone to hold space for this makes all the difference.

Together, we can:

  • work through processing thoughts and emotions around certain events to assist with removing stress and stored trauma in the body & mind.

  • discover what your subconscious is trying to communicate to you and what it knows you need.

  • discover what subconscious patterns you have and why.

  • bring awareness to your relationships and how you are showing up or why you are attracting certain relationships.

  • work through what your subconscious communication means in dreams, paranormal or spiritual experiences.

  • work towards personal goals you feel you have subconscious blocks around.

  • debrief whatever you need in a safe & confidential space, even if it was simply something that happened at work.

Education & experience aside, it really is about the relationship between the client and myself to allow that space to be open to healing or exploring.

  • Your subconscious doesn’t care about your art skills. Art is used because it is a language your subconscious understands. It’s often easier to engage in the process of art therapy if you have no art skills and I am here to guide you through the process. There is no expectation or judgment. What ever you are capable of is exactly what you need and what will work for you.

  • Possibly because you stopped creating art or using art tools when you were a child or adolescent so that is your last memory? or maybe there is another reason? Either way, art is historically recognised among science, philosophy & symbology for its intelligence in communication. It’s an extremely common response for someone to express they feel “silly”. It’s not for me to tell you if it is silly or not but I can tell you it is effective and evidence based.

  • This depends on your capacity as well as what is safe. In my experience engaging in a new form of therapy it is helpful to maintain consistency weekly or fortnightly to begin. The goal is to reach a point where you feel your therapeutic goal is improved and notice this in your mental and physical wellbeing. At this point you will be able to trust and lean on yourself more and come into therapy when you find it is helpful instead of depending on a therapy session for assistance.

  • Yes! I see most clients online because it’s become an option that fits into people lives that either don’t have the time or ability to make it to a session or just prefer the flexibility.

    It also means you can stay in your robe…

  • There are so many modalities in arts psychotherapy that limitations are almost impossible. We can use a pen and paper you have handy; we can use an entire art collection you have; we can use nature or we can use other methods that don’t involve physical objects such as sound & voice.

    Don’t let ‘not having any art materials’ be a limitation because it is not.

    Come with what you have and we can build and discuss from there.

    I am also working on a kit to offer clients that would like this option.

  • Unfortunately not, however, you will notice the fees reflect simarly as if you were getting the rebate. You can enquire about a sliding scale as a new client if finances are creating a roadblock to accessing mental health services.