Stephanie Cantrell (Albury)

Areas of interest:

  • Trauma

  • Women’s maternal mental health

  • Birth trauma

  • Anxiety & Depression

  • Children & adolescents

  • Arts practitioners

  • Eco-therapy

Currently available alternate Wednesdays, Thursdays, and every second Saturday in Albury. Stephanie (she/her) currently undertaking Masters in Therapeutic Arts Practice (MIECAT), is an ACA registered Counsellor (Torrens) who has had a comprehensive career in Theatre Arts management and production, adding to an Advanced Diploma of Health Sciences (Kinesiology) and Birth Doula training. Her own personal birth experience led her to doula work, gaining skills in assisting women and couples to process previous bad births, and go on to have more positive birthing outcomes.

Stephanie has a love of learning and intends to continue to broaden her knowledge and skills through ongoing education and mentoring. Her belief in the arts as a necessary human activity or experience as vital for resilient mental health, combined with her strong communication and natural empathy skills provides a non-judgemental, supportive, and safe space in which clients can explore matters of their concern to facilitate healing. Stephanie is passionate about nature and its evidence-based healing powers. Wyldering Therapeutic Arts was born, with the purpose to explore the interface of expressive arts therapy and nature therapy.

To wilder means ‘a plant growing in a state of nature; especially, one which has run wild, or escaped from cultivation’. A deep respect for client autonomy, inner wisdom, encompassing holistic evidence-based practice and a belief that we can be our own healer. Outdoor nature-based counselling session can incorporate Eco Art Therapy as an integrative therapeutic approach that combines principles of art therapy with environmental or ecological awareness. It emphasises the connection between individuals, their personal experiences, and the natural world, using creativity as a tool for healing and self-expression, offering another therapeutic dimension through mindfulness, and sensory experience. The indigenous wisdom of many cultures does not see nature as separate from humans but as a symbiotic interaction of cause and effect in the health of the planet and of the people.

Stephanie is a mother to two grown sons and loves living in the wilds of North-East Victoria with her soul partner, and a beloved border collie. In her own time, she tends her large garden, harvesting medicinal herbs, making teas, soaps, salves, art and crafting, volunteering in her local community, writing, reading, making art, yoga, walking, and foraging and falling in love with the natural world every day.

Cristy Houghton