In 2022 we welcomed 65 trainee and qualified counsellors to our 5th annual Creative Counsellors Gathering and we had an incredible time connecting in person, eating gorgeous food, growing our creativity and exploring new interventions!
The feedback we received from this event was that it was our best venue yet and so this year, we will be staying at Rowton Hall and will be hosting our 6th annual gathering focusing on The Power of Creativity in the Counselling Room. We would love to have you join us!
If you have been to one of our events before then you will know that the whole experience is important to us and to make this event as unique and nurturing as possible, we like to include as many options for connection and reflections as possible with a heavy focus on nurturing our own self-care and sense of community!
The Rowton Hall Hotel and Spa has a quirky and colorful character and for those staying over in the hotel, we have negotiated use of the spa and some preferential room rates on a first come first served basis. (Contact them directly for availability on rooms and to book this directly with them). Anyone staying in the hotel can also book a one hour spa slot per day to make use of the relaxing facilities!
Community means everything to us
After a full day of creative workshops, we can’t think of anything better than being able to kick off our shoes and hit the spa for some wind down time. The Creative Counsellors team and speakers will be staying on site on Saturday night and for any community members staying over, we would love to catch up in the pool, join you for a drink at the bar and get to know you a little better after the event. We are also organising a three course meal on Saturday night for anyone staying on site who would like to join us.
Evening Meal (additional option not included within the day ticket price)
The evening meal is a three course meal with coffee and gives us a smaller group opportunity to gather and get to know each other even more. The food is amazing and the staff are wonderful. Last year we ended up in the bar after our meal to catch up on life, laugh a lot and hug it out! We know that counselling can be isolating work and this is one of the ways that we like to bring the community together! The three course meal costs £30 and all dietary requirements can be catered for. You don’t need to be staying in the hotel to book the meal.
Quiet Corner
If you appreciate some quiet self-reflection time during breaks and lunch, our wonderful Evie will be hosting a chill out creativity table in the conservatory, where you can spend some time with watercolours or doodling. You can choose to take something away with you and find a corner or take this back to your table too. We appreciate you joining us!
The Creative Counsellors Experience
Whether you are flying solo or in a group – we are on hand to make your Creative Counsellors experience an adventure. So please let us know on your booking form if we can do anything to help or make this experience more comfortable for you!
Payments and bookings
To book a place you will need to register for this event by clicking the “register for this event” button at the top of this page. This Google form will help us to gather all of the important information that we need to ensure we can give you the best event experience including your payment details and dietary requirements! Once you complete the form you will receive a PayPal invoice and can choose to pay in instalments with a £40 deposit plus –
2 x Monthly payments of £19.75 for members (Total £79.50)
2 x Monthly payments of £27.50 for non members (Total £95.00)
Or pay in full. You can also select to pay by BACS as long as we receive your deposit within 24 hours to secure your place.
This event will not be recorded so that we can keep the space as a co-created closed and safe space for attendees!
We have carefully balanced the day with a mix of professional workshops, wrapped up in nurturing and creative self-care activities. After all we are people before counsellors.
9:30 – 9:50 Networking & Coffee Meet Up
10:00 – 10:05 Welcome Note with Creative Counsellors
10:05 -11:00 Working On Dreams: A Gestalt Approach with Alan Leach
Alan approaches dreams as one of the most spontaneous expression of human existence, every aspect of them is a personal road to self-discovery. In this highly experiential workshop, you’ll examine the practice of working with the meaning of dreams from a phenomenological standpoint; learn about narrative enquiry as an entry point to dream work; look at techniques for the ‘here and now’ exploration of dreams and draw on insights from metaphor-based practice. Explore how to work with dreams within this non-interpretative framework.
11:00 – 11:20 Coffee, chat and browse the stalls
11:20 – 12:30 Working Creatively with Dreams Part 2 with Alan Leach
12:30 – 13:30 Creativi-Tea Lunch! Enjoy a tasty lunch, browse the stalls or find your inner flow with a gentle self-paced creative activity
13:30 – 14:30 Our Story with Jonny Benjamin & Joey Kolirin
Together Jonny & Joey will share their incredible survival story and guide us through what it is like to live with depression, suicidal ideation and come through the other side. An emotional and inspiring session exploring the stigma, the isolation and the healing power of conversations.
14:30 – 14:50 Afternoon Coffee and Cake
14:50 – 16:20 Creative Expressive Art Journaling with Honorata
In this session Honorata will facilitate an afternoon of creativity using a range of mixed media to create something to help us to express our world through art. A hands on experiential workshop creating, connecting and inspiring that creative spark within us.
16:20 – 16:30 Closing Reflections
Revd Alan Leach (BSc.Clin.Psych) studied at the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Philadelphia and has worked in the counselling and psychotherapy field for over 30 years. He has extensive experience in teaching and working with dreams, grief and shame leading workshops in the UK, Norway, USA and Australia.
Tanja is an Integrative Counsellor & Therapeutic Coach with a private practice in Chester and online. She is the founder and co-director for Creative Counsellors and is the community and membership lead. She is also the the author of the Amazon number one bestseller "Creative Counselling - Tools and Interventions to Nurture Therapeutic Relationships" and "Doodle Your Worries Away".
Gaynor is an Integrative Counsellor with a private practice in Southport and online. She is the co-director for Creative Counsellors and the retreats and training lead.
Many of you will know Evie as your community champion and ambassadors lead for Creative Counsellors. She will be with us on the day connecting with you all and being the hostess with the mostess. Evie will be managing the exhibitors and stalls on the day as well as hosting our lunch time creative session for anyone who would like to chat and connect in a quieter space.
I am a qualified Therapeutic Expressive Arts Practitioner and Integrative Counsellor in training, and I facilitate the Creative Counsellors "Awakening Your Creativity" workshops for members as well as contributing to regular blog articles. I also deliver sessions to Public Health, Mind, community arts organisations and mental health services.
Pauline is the founder of PACT which is the home of a range of original and creative counselling resources, and also the sister company of counselling training organisation, Deep Release. PACT offers a range of resources aimed at making theory simple to understand and easy to practise creatively in the counselling room.
Pauline will have a range of resources for sale on the day.
Our popular pre-loved book store will be back with a selection of second hand books on offer for a little inspiration hosted by our wonderful Lin.
From labradorite to ocean jasper, we have a range of crystals and stones on offer to add to your symbols and creative counselling toolbox. Gaynor will also be on hand to offer any advice and support to anyone looking to learn more.
Can I book a room on site?
Yes, rooms are on a first come first served basis and you can check availability, price and book to stay directly with Rowton Hall Hotel and Spa by calling 01244 335262
Additional hotels in the area include: The Cheshire Cat, Rowton Poplars and the Mercure Chester Abbots Well Hotel.
Where is the hotel?
The hotel address is – Rowton Lane, Chester CH3 6AD
Where is the nearest train station?
The nearest train station is in Chester. You can book a taxi to take you to the venue from there.
How do I book a ticket?
You can book a ticket by clicking on any of the “register for this event” buttons on this page. This Google form will guide you through some questions and help us to arrange your personalised invoice for you.
Can we book as a group?
We need an individual form to be completed for every person to capture dietary requirements etc and so you will need to book individually.
Are seats allocated?
No. seats are not allocated and so you can choose to sit anywhere that you like.
Are special diets catered for?
Dietary requirements are catered for and we will also have a selection of alternative milks and options on offer too – as long as we receive your completed form we can pass this onto the caterers.
What if I change my mind, can I cancel my booking?
All ticket sales are final and are non-refundable as we pay per booking with the hotel. If you cannot attend for some reason and we have a waitlist then we may be able to resell your ticket but we can’t guarantee this.
Will this event be recorded?
No, we will not be recording this event so that we can create a co-created safe space for attendees to share with each other.
