ABIGAIL NELSON
Dramatherapist
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Creative wellness
Workshops, events, retreats and projects
Please get in touch for more information, to collaborate, or to enquire about a bespoke workshop or event for your organisation.
Upcoming
Creative Reset Retreat
Berwickshire, 18th-21st April 2025
Are you an Arts or helping professional in need of a creative reset? Then this is the retreat for you. In spring, nature is teaching us the art of renewal. You will be led through Dramatherapeutic and Environmental Arts Therapy exercises to encounter these lessons, to rebirth your creative potential and to come home to yourself as a true reflection of nature.
"The retreat helped me to bring back my inner child and creative self. I realized that all the creative energy and ideas I carried as a child are still within me, I just must spend time to connect with them. It is easy to get lost in the rat-race when working full-time and keeping things together, so having the space and people to connect and be creative with was amazing." - Previous retreat participant
Previous
Creative Souls Retreat
Scottish Highlands, 8th-10th November 2024
In the traditional Celtic calendar, the year doesn't start in January, or even in spring. It starts in November, when nature begins the descent into stillness, letting go of the old in order to make way for the new. In this retreat participants were guided by creativity, ritual and nature to explore their inner worlds, to let go of the past, honour the inner elder, make space for stillness, and plant seeds for the future.
"It gave me a place to rest and to come home to myself." - Retreat participant
The many faces of you
Workshop at Exhale Festival, Online, 5th and 6th October 2024
In this immersive workshop, you’ll be introduced to the fascinating concept of subpersonalities and how they shape your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. You’ll be guided through dramatherapeutic exercises designed to bring your subpersonalities to life, and walk away with a deeper sense of internal wholeness and a newfound appreciation for the complexity of your being.
Exhale Festival features 70 online workshops, groups and talks to navigate life's ups and downs and help you create the life you want to live.
Loving all of me(s)
Workshop at FLARE* Festival, Summerhall, 22nd June 2024
Join me at FLARE* Festival to discover... What are subpersonalities? Can I really love every part of me? Where do I even begin? At this dramatherapy workshop you'll be given tools to creatively explore the different parts of yourself, in order to bring them into the light and give them the love they need to thrive.
FLARE* Festival is a community-fuelled event, taking place from 10am to 7pm on Saturday 22nd June at Summerhall. With 13 rooms and a packed schedule of local facilitators, there is something for everyone to both enjoy and truly benefit from. Book onto the whole festival then reserve your space to my workshop in the days running up to it.
Dramatherapy workshop
For the young people and staff of a residential care home
I delivered a dramatherapy taster workshop to the young people and staff at a residential care home. The session focused on relationship-building and creatively, safely expressing yourself and your emotions using games, stories and discussion.
Your Inner Wardrobe
Workshop in collaboration with Yellow Souls Vintage
Clothes are not only a way to express ourselves. Research shows what we wear influences our attitudes and how we interact with others. Your wardrobe can be a complex reflexion of our internal identity, and can both influence, and be influenced by, our inner worlds. This workshop drew on the knowledge of stylist and fashion expert, Elena from Yellow Souls, and of dramatherapist and creative wellness facilitator Abigail Nelson to help participants not only express themselves more authentically through their wardrobe, but draw on clothes to bring out the best version of themselves. Find out more.
Social media for therapists
CPD online workshop
"To post or not to post, that is the question..." In this short two-hour training participants were given the opportunity to creatively explore if and how you might make use of social media as a therapist.
As therapists, we have all the tools to engage our clients in the therapy space. We can talk for hours about our passion for therapy, and market ourselves really well to the person sitting next to us. But can we translate that to social media? Do we even want to? In this short training we will creatively explore the whys and hows of social media for therapists.
FLARE* Festival
Community Wellness Event at Summerhall, Edinburgh
I provided two dramatherapy/creative wellness workshops for FLARE* Festival at Summerhall. These workshops used myth and story to allow participants to access their inner gold and inner shadow. With storytelling, art-making, embodiment and discussion, we unlocked our inner worlds through the power of myth
On day one, we explored our inner shadows through the Greek myth of Medusa.
On day two, we explored our inner gold through the Native American story of The Flowering Tree.
Wellness Walks
Monthly nature and wellbeing walks, 2023
Discover the natural, astrological and symbolic lessons to be learnt each month while feeling grounded in nature. On these monthly walks, participants connected with like-minded people, got away from the daily grind and left feeling refreshed. Though unique monthly themes, I guided participants in using nature to connect with themselves, others and the world around them. They could join in with the meditative quiet or creative activities, or just spend the time in nature.
Stay tuned for future plans for wellness walks.
The Art of Being Human
Creative Wellness Day Festival at the Leith Arches
Through a live art-making exhibition, creative wellness workshops and interactive elements we explored and celebrated the creative process of art and life. All profits raised went to The Alma Project, a local charity who run arts groups and creative therapies for adults in Edinburgh experiencing mental health challenges. Thanks to the support of everyone who donated to the event, we raised £470.63 for The Alma Project.
As humans, we're not perfect, finished works of art. We are constantly in process. Living in the mess, changing constantly and experiencing our own beautifully unique journey. This is the art of being human.
What's my story?
Creative wellness workshop for high school leavers
In June 2023, I was invited to run a creative wellness workshop on the final day of work experience week for soon-to-be high school leavers at a high school in Edinburgh. The workshop gave the girls a chance, in all the busy-ness and hurry to get to their futures, to stop and reflect on their time at high school. To wonder, what's my story? And how do I want to remember it? This involved creating timelines using writing, drawing, collage and objects.
Print-making drop in
Corporate Partnership with Eden Locke, Edinburgh
In May 2023 I partnered with local artist, Karina Pasiut, to provide a unique screen-printing drop in workshop at Eden Locke (George Street). Eden's guests and members of the public could experience print-making and take away their own wearable creation. Participants could choose from two original prints - one inspired by Edinburgh and one by the aparthotel - or one of Karina's classic designs to print onto a tote bag. We all enjoyed the fun and surprising process of print-making, seeing each print come out as unique and individual as the print-maker! Discover the artist.
Spring Retreat
Creative Wellness and Nature Retreat, Lochgoilhead
Within the gorgeous landscape of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, this retreat provided the opportunity to refresh, reflect and renew by re-connecting with the inner child, with creativity and with out innate link to the natural world through a mix of group and individual creative activities, both indoor and in nature, inspired by Dramatherapy and Environmental Art Therapy.
"I have never experienced outdoor therapeutic work before, and was genuinely blown away by the power of it. I was really grateful and inspired by the powerful nature of working outside and along with others in nature. " - Retreat participant
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Goddesses of War
Women's Circle and Creative Wellness Workshop
In March 2023, a masculine month named after Mars, God of War, we gathered together as women to explore our innate, feminine, wisdom and courage. By first exploring Athena and Minerva, Goddesses of Wisdom but also fierce warriors, I then led the group to access and explore their personal inner Goddesses through meditation, visualisation, movement, art-making and discussion.
"I really enjoyed the connection to my inner goddess - the session was really empowering and helped me to find lots of inner calm" - Workshop participant
An Evening of Candlelight
Online event of Myth and Meditation
The 2nd of February marks the midpoint between the shortest day of the year and the spring equinox. For some it is Candlemas, the festival of light, a symbol of protection and prosperity. For the Romans and Celts, it was the beginning of spring. In mythology, it marks the return of Persephone from the underworld.
Together, over zoom, we brought in the hope of a new month, and a new season. Through meditation, storytelling and art-making, I guided the group to spend quality time with themselves set intentions for the season to come, by the light of a candle.
What is Dramatherapy?
Talk at Creative Arts Careers Lunch with St George's School for Girls
In February 2023, I was invited to speak at a Careers Lunch for the Creative Arts at St George's School in Edinburgh. When I was at school I didn't know dramatherapy existed, so it was a privilege to share about the Creative Arts Therapies to the next generation.
I spoke about the pathways to a career in the Creative Arts Therapies, what dramatherapy was, who dramatherapists work with and where they work. If you are interested in arranging a talk, please get in touch.
Valentine's Day Self-Love Cards
Corporate Partnership with Eden Locke, Edinburgh
This year I worked with Eden Locke, apart-hotel in Edinburgh, to provide them with Valentine's Day cards for all their residents and guests. The cards focused on self-love and gratitude. This partnership also involved running a public creative wellness workshop hosted at the hotel.
If you work for a business and would like to promote wellness amongst your staff or customers, please get in touch.
November Retreat
Creative Nature Retreat in the Highlands
In the traditional Celtic calendar, the year doesn't start in January, or even in spring. It starts in November, when nature begins the descent into stillness, letting go of the old in order to make way for, and provide nutrients for, the new. This retreat was aimed at fostering a connection to the self and others through nature, inspired by dramatherapeutic principles.
"The retreat helped me to bring back my inner child and creative self. I realized that all the creative energy and ideas I carried as a child are still within me, I just must spend time to connect with them. It is easy to get lost in the rat-race when working full-time and keeping things together, so having the space and people to connect and be creative with was amazing." - Retreat participant
Move and Meditate
Online meditation series
This project started when I was providing weekly online meditation classes for college students with disabilities from April to May 2021. This resulted in the production of 20 videos of guided meditations and visualisations, available publicly. The project developed to include three live, filmed collaborations with other wellness facilitators involving: a yoga flow and meditation for connection; a workout and meditation for strength; and a workout and meditation for self-love. The final component was being interviewed for a podcast and filming a live follow up interview and meditation.
