Cocoon Creative Arts Therapies

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About Michelle morgan (Athr)

Hi, I'm Michelle and I use she/her pronouns. I'm a queer cis-woman, registered arts therapist, spiritual care practitioner, lecturer, multi-modal creative, and I've been walking the path of healing and creativity for around twenty-five years. I have lived experience of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), endometriosis, depression and anxiety. I have engaged in extensive training in person-centred approaches to therapy, and maintain a personal creative practice which continues to nourish and enliven me.

​I am passionate about creating gentle and supportive spaces that allow people to be as they are, bringing a deep listening presence through the modalities of spiritual care and creative arts therapies, so they can acknowledge, hold, and explore their lived experience. I do this through individual sessions, and online and face-to-face programs. I specialise in supporting people through difficult transitions in life, as well as those experiencing depression or anxiety, grief and loss, chronic illness, stress, and uncertainty, drawing upon existing strengths and resources, and supporting meaning making.


Since my early twenties, I've run businesses offering wholistic massage therapy, community singing facilitation, and individual and group art therapy, providing services in community health, aged care, hospital and community settings with people from all walks of life. I've also worked in research and project roles in the area of spiritual care, and currently work as a spiritual care practitioner in a major Melbourne hospital.

I live from core values of integrity, service, emergence, creativity and compassion. 

You're welcome to give me a call to chat about how I can best support you.
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Formal Qualifications & Professional History

Qualifications:
  • Level Two Clinical Pastoral Education (Peter MacCallum Comprehensive Cancer Centre & Epworth HealthCare, 2019)
  • Masters in Therapeutic Arts Practice (MIECAT, 2018)
  • Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Art Therapy (The Phoenix Institute, 2015)
  • Diploma in Creative Industries (Victoria University, 2014)
  • Bachelor Health Sciences (Public Health, with Honours) & Bachelor Pastoral Care (La Trobe University, 2008)
  • Level One Clinical Pastoral Education (Austin Health, 2006)
  • Diploma in Psycho-Spiritual Healing (Alpha Omega Healing, 2001)
  • Integrated Massage Therapy Certificate (Southern School Natural Therapies, 2000)
  • Certificate in Sound Therapy (UK, 2014)
  • Certificate IV in Small Business Management (Kangan Batman TAFE, 2011)
  • Certificate IV Workplace Assessor and Trainer (Holmesglen TAFE, 2002)

Professional Development:
  • Expressive Therapies Continuum in the 21st Century with Cathy Malchiodi (upcoming - July 2025 - 9 hours).
  • Advanced Frameworks in Trans Affirming Therapy with Ari Heart (June 2025 - 5 hours)
  • Spiritual Care Australia Conference (June 2025 - 7 hours)
  • Mental Health First Aid (refresher, May 2025 - 4 hours)
  • Creative Mental Health Forum & Community Care Retreat with Carla Van Laar (May 2025 - 12 hours)
  • Supervision Practice with NSWCPE (May 2025 - 4 hours)
  • Art Therapy & Neuroscience: The Basics with A/Prof Juliet King ANZACATA (April 2025 - 2 hours)
  • Creative Connections: Integrating Neurodiversity Affirming Practice in Creative Arts Therapy with Raelene Dundon (ANZACATA May 2024 - 2 hours)
  • Creative Mental Health Forum & Community Care Retreat with Carla Van Laar (May 2024 - 12 hours)
  • Clinical Placement Program in Cancer Survivorship (Peter Mac Oct 2023 - 8 hours)
  • Bone Marrow Transplant Study Day (Peter Mac Oct 2023 - 8 hours)
  • Practice Ethics - Working with Vulnerable Children & Their Families. (Emma Van Daal June 2023 - 2 hours)
  • ACT for Beginners (Russ Harris on Psychwire 2022 - 16 hours)
  • Accredited Mental Health First Aid Training (2022 - 15 hours)
  • Introduction to Sexual Health in Art Therapy (ANZACATA 2022 - 2.5 hours)
  • Working with Suicidal Patients Webinar (Nick Bendit, 2022 - 1.5 hour)
  • Polyvagal Focused and Sensorimotor Expressive Arts Therapy PD (Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute Faculty, 2022 - 15 hours)
  • Introduction to Grief and Bereavement Support (Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement, 2022 - 5 hours)
  • Foundations of Trauma-safe Practice (The Miecat Institute, 2022 - 2 hours) 
  • Soulcraft Mentorship Program (Animas Valley Institute USA, 2022)
  • Art Therapy Supervision Skills for Health Professionals (La Trobe University, 2021 - 30 hours)
  • Working with NDIS Participants (ANZACATA 2021 - 3 hours)
  • Nature Connection Mentor Training (Firekeepers Incorporated, 2021)
  • Meeting Places: Art Based, Collaborative Goal Setting and Therapeutic Reviews (Carla Van Laar, 2020 - 5 hours)
  • Existential Essentials for Art Therapists (Carla Van Laar, 2020 - 5 hours)
  • Art Therapy First Aid (Carla Van Laar, 2020 - 5 hours)

Publications & Scholarly Achievements:
Publication: Morgan (2019). ‘Mandala a day’: An artist’s anchor in the void. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Art Therapy, Vol. 14, No. 1.
Poster Presentation: Morgan, Periera-Salgado, Boyd, Mader, Walker, and Islam (2015). Developing an online resource for religious and cultural advance care planning – a literature review. Advance Care Planning & End of Life Care National Conference, Melbourne, Victoria
Publication: Morgan, McInerney, Rumbold and Liamputtong (2009). Drawing the experience of chronic vaginal thrush and complementary and alternative medicine. International Journal of Social Research Methodology.
Publication: Morgan (2008). Initial Results of the Victorian Audit of Pastoral Care Resources. Australian Journal of Pastoral Care and Health, Vol. 2, No. 2.
Publication: Morgan (2008). A Pastoral Heart. Reflections upon studies in pastoral care. Australian Journal of Pastoral Care and Health Vol. 2, No. 2.
Publication: Morgan, Hayes, Williamson and Ford (2007). Men’s Sheds. A community approach to mental health and wellbeing. International Journal Mental Health Promotion.
Conference Presentation: Men’s Sheds. A community approach to mental health and wellbeing. At ‘Kindling the Flame’, Feb 2007 in Perth.
Honours Thesis: Chronic Vaginal Thrush and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2007).
Winner of Award for Top Honours Thesis in School of Public Health, 2007
Winner Australian Health Promotion Association Student of the Year 2006, and Carole Bailey Award
Scholarship recipient for Pauline Toner Award 2006 Honorary Mention for APHA student of the year 2005
Scholarship recipient for Lincoln SCU Health Sciences 2005

Association Memberships:
  • Professional Member of ANZACATA - The professional association for creative arts therapies in Australia, New Zealand and Asia

​Michelle has facilitated creative arts therapies and educational sessions for:
  • Spiritual Care Australia -  'Spiritual Care Supervision: Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities' (co-facilitated) (June 2025)
  • Ikon Institute - Sessional Lecturer in Bachelor Art Therapy (2023-2025)
  • Helen Hains Day Oncology Unit - Ongoing Art Therapy Group (2021-2025)
  • Creative Mental Health Forum & Community Care Retreat - 'Crafting Identity - A Barbie Workshop' with Alana Stewart (May 2024 - 12 hours)
  • Spiritual Care Australia - 'A Harvest of Hope - Creative Integrative Session' Workshop for SCA Conference (June 2023)
  • Department of Justice - 'Celebrating the Team' (October 2022)
  • Ikon Institute - 'Celebrating the Rainbow - Working with LGBTQIA+ Clients' (October 2022)
  • RMIT - RUOK? Day - 'Creative Wellbeing: How art therapy supports mental health' (2021&2022)
  • Ikon Institute - 'An Intricate Web - Spirituality in Therapeutic Practice' (August 2022)
  • Spiritual Care Australia - 'The Art of Spiritual Care' - Workshop for Spiritual Care Australia Conference (June 2022)
  • Raw Talk by Lena Be Podcast - 'What is Art Therapy?' (March 2022) 
  • Castlemaine Community House - 'Introduction to Art Therapy' (Feb-Apr 2022)
  • Study Melbourne & Confidence Hackers - 'Creative Wellbeing Program' (Dec 2021-Feb 2022)
  • Art Tearapy - 'Nature's Alchemy Eco-print Workshop' (2021)
  • The Weekly Service - 'Moments of Showing Up: Creativity, Spiritual Care, and Attending to the Moment' (2021)
  • Spiritual Care Australia and Spiritual Health Association PD Program - 'Drawing the Circle: Exploring the creative arts in spirituality and spiritual care practice' (2021)
  • Creative Mental Health Forum & Self Care Retreat - 'Spirituality and Mental Health' (2021)
  • Kirkbrae Presbyterian Aged Care - Ongoing Art Therapy Group (2021)
  • Allity Greenview Residential Aged Care Facility - Ongoing Art Therapy Group (2020-21)
  • Liscombe House Residential Aged Care Facility - Art Therapy Group (2020)
  • Spiritual Care Australia Conference - 'Drawing on the creative arts as compass in self care practice' (2019)
  • Spiritual Care Australia Conference - Convenor rituals committee (2019)
  • The Salvation Army - Youth Supported Housing - Art therapy group (2019)
  • Seven Sisters Festival - Community arts projects with women (2017-9)
  • Spiritual Health Victoria - Review and planning session using art therapy processes (2019)
  • Melbourne Artists for Asylum Seekers - Eco-print workshop (2018)
  • Camp Australia - Art sessions for primary school aged children (2018)
  • Booroondara Artist's Studio - Art therapy group for people living with mental illness (2017)
  • Private clients including self-managed NDIS clients
  • Private groups - various workshops and community choirs
  • Banyule Community Health, Lalor Living & Learning Centre, St Vincent's (Prague House), Arts Access, City of Darebin, City of Whittlesea, Diamond Valley Learning Centre, The Arts Centre, Moreland Connect, The Gawler Foundation, Community Music Victoria, and more. 

​PERSONAL, SPIRITUAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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As a therapist, my ability to journey with feelings, stay present to my moment to moment experiencing, and to know what supports and nourishes me, directly links to my capacity to hold space for and journey with others. Over the years I have engaged in a range of personal, spiritual and professional development intensives, workshops and modalities. I continue to nourish and develop my own creative explorations.

Some of the work that has deeply supported me in healing, transformation and growth is listed below.

Of course, we each have our own path to follow, so please trust in your own impulse and engage in paths that feel supportive to you. If you'd like to know more about these intensives and modalities, please feel free to give me a call to chat.

Soulcraft and Wild Mind - Soulcraft Australia (Animas Valley Institute - trainers travel from the US)
Nature-based soul work, engaging deep imagination, ritual and ceremony, myth, dreamwork.
Wild Mind is the healing and wholing work, Soulcraft is the soul work - enabling us to live our deepest purpose.


Possibility Management - Possibility Management Australia (trainers in Australia and Germany) and The Art of Relating
Adult initiation work, feelings-based, new maps for life to support flourishing. Expand the Box and Possibility Labs are offered in five-day intensives. 

Somatic Experiencing - Trauma release work (practitioners available in Australia)
Specific healing work around trauma. Absolutely essential in learning how to navigate the nervous system.

Circle
Deep process work in a small community of women over the course of 14 years. Red Tent Australia is a good place to start if you're looking to connect with a circle.

In addition to my personal development, I'm a bit of a research nerd and have published a number of peer reviewed articles in public health, spiritual care and arts therapy journals.
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​I've also published 'A Guide to Community Singing Leadership' with Community Music Victoria, and recently published 'The Creative Soul Mandala Oracle', a set of 42 Oracle cards and accompanying 108-page booklet.  
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Resources

If you are interested to learn more about the practice of Creative Arts Therapies, please visit the following websites.

Australia & New Zealand and Asia Creative Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA)

The MIECAT Institute 

Carla van Laar - ​carlavanlaar.com/
Annie Sloss - anniesloss.com.au
Jennifer Berlingieri - http://creativeartstherapy.com.au/
Cathy Malchiodi - http://www.cathymalchiodi.com/about/what-is-art-therapy/
Melbourne Art Therapy - http://www.melbournearttherapy.com.au/
Pat B. Allen - http://www.patballen.com/index.html
Art Therapy Without Borders - http://www.atwb.org/
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Reading

These are some of my favourite authors in the realms of creativity, healing and spirituality. Each of these books has touched my heart in some way and I express my deepest gratitude for the gifts they have offered.

Allen, P. (1995). Art as a way of knowing. A guide to self-knowledge and spiritual fulfilment through creativity
Allen, P. (2005). Art is a spiritual path. Engaging the sacred through the practice of art and writing
Cameron, J. (1995) The Artist's Way. A spiritual path to higher creativity

Cameron, J. (1997). The Vein of Gold. A journey to your creative heart
Cameron, J. (2002). Walking in this World. The practical art of creativity
Cameron, J. (1996). The Right to Write. An invitation and initiation into the writing life.
Gendlin, E. (1982) Focusing.
Goldman, N. (1986) Writing Down the Bones. Freeing the writer within.
Kornfield, J (1993). A Path with Heart. The perils and promises of spiritual life
Levine, P. (1997) Waking the Tiger - Healing Trauma
Levine, P. (2010) In an Unspoken Voice. How the body releases trauma and restores goodness
Levine, S (1997) A Year to Live. How to live this year as if it were your last.
Moore, T (1995). Care for the soul. A guide for creating depth and sacredness in everyday life
Neff, K. (2011). Self-compassion. Stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind
Plotkin, B. (2003). Soulcraft: Crossing into the mysteries of nature and psyche
Werner, K (1996). Effortless Mastery. Liberating the master musician within.

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Book a session with Michelle now
Cocoon Creative Arts Therapies
[email protected]
0409946994 
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The activities of Cocoon Creative Arts Therapies take place on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Peoples of the Kulin Nation. This always has been and always will be Aboriginal Land. We acknowledge and honour the First Nations peoples in their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
​As a tangible expression of solidarity, Cocoon Creatives Arts Therapies pays the rent #paytherent.

Cocoon Creative Arts Therapies offers a space of welcome to all people, embracing and celebrating diverse sexualities, gender identities, ethnicities, and faiths.
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