Photo.therapy
Phototherapy, photo..what? Ok let me explain a bit! :)
I'm a therapist and photographer who use the power of (naked) photography to truly change the perspective about the body & mind! My work exists to capture the natural beauty and empower people in front of my lens.
My project/work is to help end the stigma attached to mental health issues by sharing inspirational stories and portraying the real people behind these labels. It’s a way to collect a range of stories and create visual reminders based on what people share with me, to ultimately help raise awareness around mental health issues. I use photography as a therapeutic tool and I use photography with adults suffering from mental illnesses (burnout, ptsd, depression, eating disorders,..) or with people during a big change in their life (after a breast or leg amputation, after a big trauma, etc etc.) The personal sessions are open to all women, men, x, couples, introverts, extraverts,.. in any stage of life seeking self-love, confidence, body image support or just a simple celebration of themselves. Photographing ourselves can assist in a healing process, for example, to help us come to terms with grief and loss, self- acceptance and strengthen our self-esteem.
To create images that celebrate, explore, honor, imagine, compare and contrast the naked human in all its forms. We all have bodies but none are the same. Nude photography is a never ending pallet of flesh and light to me. I am not interested in the body as an object of desire but a place of neutrality. It's not about what your body looks like but what it can do for you. By recognizing what the body is capable of, rather than what it looks like, we can find unexpected pleasures in both viewing and possessing it.
I would like to develop the use of therapeutic photography further and on a deeper level and conduct more workshops in the future. I want my work to be like a mood that passes through you, and if the work makes you feel empowered, seen, heard, or what have you, then that is a big win for me! :)
During a session there is a space for you to explore your connection with yourself, your body, mind and for you to celebrate who you are. It's a space for us to create art together and capture your authenticity. It's a space for you to try something new and push through any boundaries of self-criticism or self-consciousness that might arise. The intention for the session can be big or small, you can set just one or many. This is your space! The photos we take can serve many different purposes. For some, the purpose is in the session itself, and for some, it lies in the end product. To see the photos and see yourself in a beautiful, authentic way can be the intention. Or to create a reminder for you in the future.