Dr Emma Gentle

Dr Emma Gentle is a researcher and an art therapist.

Emma completed her PhD (USyd) on the capacity of group art-making processes to form connection. She has a MA in Art Therapy (UWS) where she researched the impact of art therapy on incarcerated young people; and explored identity development through art-making processes.

Emma also completed a MA in Applied Anthropology, Community and Youth Work (GU), with a dissertation on the efficacy of community arts projects in creating individual and social change. She completed under graduate diplomas in both psychology and applied psychology (BU). Emma uses participatory action research (PAR), and multi-modal data collection for a nuanced understanding of both arts programs and creative therapies. Her research examines the capacity of art and creativity to improve mental health and promote wellbeing.

In her practice, she utilises art processes to: 1) cultivate unencumbered expression of difficult feelings; 2) tell story; 3) increase connection; 4) reduce stigma; and 5) as a creative recovery tool.