Art Heals
At the heart of narrative arts therapy lies a simple but powerful truth:
We hold the agency to transform the stories that have shaped us.
Developed by Dr. Marlene Winberg, this course draws from her lifelong work with vulnerable children, women, and communities across Southern Africa. Her doctoral research revealed how science, the arts, and traditional storytelling come together to unlock voices and memories that might otherwise remain silent.
The course includes an introductory session, followed by six in-depth sessions over three months. It is especially designed for teenagers and women navigating difficult experiences, using artistic expression – drawing, painting, clay, or writing – as a way to explore and reimagine their inner narratives.
Each participant is supported by the companion workbook, Art Heals: A Journey Through Narrative Arts Therapy.
Dr Marlene Winberg has served as co-ordinator, writer, teacher and trauma counsellor for the international Sweden-based children's rights organisation, The World's Children's Prize, since its inception in 2000. In this capacity she has listened to hundreds of vulnerable women and children all over the globe tell their stories.
Dr Winberg holds a Doctor of Philosophy with a specialisation in the narrative arts from the Faculty of Science at the University of Cape Town, a Masters of Arts in Fine Art (UCT) and BA in Drama and Literature (UCT). She holds certificates in a range of healing modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from the Applied College of Psychology in the UK, Clinical Hypnosis and Narrative Therapy from the Dulwich Centre in Australia.
As an oral history facilitator for San communities in southern Africa for the past thirty years, she has witnessed how indigenous healing practices, including storytelling, support communities' health and well-being. She brought this experience to her post-doctoral research to establish a trans-disciplinary framework for linking traditional healing practices with the arts and sciences.
She is the author of several books on the integration of the narrative arts, healing and indigenous knowledge.
One On One Sessions
A 90-minute in-person session provides an in-depth experience with narrative arts therapy. It includes the course guide book for continued self-guided healing, and digital resources for further exploration of narrative arts therapy.
Online Sessions
Online therapy is increasingly popular due to its privacy, autonomy, and the ability to choose a preferred environment. Teenagers find it effective and less stigmatising, as they can do therapy in their own home. It is also more affordable.
Courses/Workshops
A two-hour introductory session for small groups.
The extended six session course
is beneficial for women and teens facing life challenges, including grief, trauma, anxiety, loss, menopause, puberty or chronic illness.
Podcast
Dr Winberg discusses the history of healing through the arts, focusing on loss, life transitions, and recovery. The podcast includes adapted stories of her students and clients, along with book reviews on the science of healing through the arts.
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