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<h4>The arts are central!</h4>
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<p>The arts have always been central in how I navigate the world. Using my hands to make is how I get to know things, especially when words get in the way. I love to stitch, draw, paint and write poetry. In my childhood and youth, I danced and played musical instruments. Today I still need to move my whole body by dancing and I play music for relaxation. Both dance and music, get me 'out of my head' when I get in a thought-based tangle. Using the arts with an inquiry-based therapeutic intention, has been significant in managing living with on-going pain from an injury.  </p>
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<p>During my working life I have also been fortunate to have the arts central. This has seem me in design studios, art galleries, education, community centres and therapy settings. Please see my <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-woodford-b7994226/">linked-in profile</a> for work-based experiences. </p>
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<h4>Qualifications and interests</h4>
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<p>My arts therapy degrees are at post-graduate level from <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The MIECAT Institute Inc (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.miecat.edu.au" target="_blank">The MIECAT Institute Inc</a>, Melbourne. I have a Graduate Diploma in Experiential and Creative Arts Therapy and a Master of Arts by Supervision in Experiential and Creative Arts Therapy. I am a registered Creative Arts Therapist (AThR) with <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.anzacata.org" target="_blank">ANZACATA</a>, which is the peak professional association for Creative Arts Therapies in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. </p>
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<p>My Masters thesis, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="A Book to Hold Our Stories (opens in a new tab)" href="https://miecat.edu.au/facility-items/book-hold-stories/" target="_blank">A Book to Hold Our Stories</a>, inquires into 'what it is like to live in a different culture'. This is a personal area of interest. In the years that following my Masters I continue to inquire into this topic. I create and exhibit an artistic work called <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="From Migration to Integration (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.holdingspacestudio.co.nz/?page_id=84" target="_blank">From Migration to Integration</a>. I co-facilitate a community project called Journeys Within Our Community. More recently, I also contribute to a book chapter titled, Taking a Turn: An image-led Dialogue between Creative Arts Educators and Practitioners in Melbourne, Australia (Allen, Rumbold, Schnaedelbach, Woodford &amp; Tann).</p>
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<p>I am now working on a Professional Doctorate. My doctoral research looks at the therapeutic arts to support people living with post operative chronic pain. This research is not just about the pain but also trauma, disability and a body living with something that is on-going. I am a member of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nzps.org.nz" target="_blank">The New Zealand Pain Society (NZPS)</a> and the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.iasp-pain.org" target="_blank">International Association for the Study of Pain (IAPS)</a>. </p>
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<h4>What matters most</h4>
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<p>I love to nurture creativity and use the arts to navigate what we meet individually or collectively in the world. This is what I hope to share with those who I work alongside. It might be in exploring personal content, community needs or in making sense of professional practice. A sustainable practice is also extremely important to me. To me, this is the materials I use and ensuring that I can meet and respond to the needs of those I companion so that my support may no longer be needed. </p>
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<p>I am an artist - arts therapist - researcher - supervisor.</p>
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