Melissa Underwood - Art Therapist

Meet our resident Art Therapist, Melissa Underwood. Melissa is a self taught artist with qualifications as a mother craft nurse, early childhood educator and transpersonal arts therapist. She has worked in the early childhood field for 26 years in various roles from mother and baby units to long day care management as an acting director, 2IC, educational leader and senior educator.

Melissa has utilized art therapy in early childhood education for 9 years with a particular focus on sandplay therapy. Her art therapy experience also includes working with the Art Therapy Studio at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre where she completed her art therapy training and later worked as a volunteer with patients, their families and members of staff.

Melissa takes a process orientated focus to her artwork and workshops; however she believes that the final product is just as important, allowing for reflection that leads to stronger understanding of the process and deeper personal growth. She works in all art mediums and enjoys exploring all styles of art with a particular fondness for digital photography, inks and mixed media. She is an active member of many art groups, and over the years her work has been featured both here and overseas in various health and wellbeing blogs, on record covers and in art therapy publications.

One World for Children Acknowledgement of Country: Here is the land; Here is the sky; Here are my people and here am I. We give thanks to future, present and past; Ancestors and Elders and the connection that lasts. We acknowledge the Wathaurong people on whose land we learn and play; We promise to look after it every day. ©