Fiona Villarreal Art Psychotherapist Birmingham

Fiona Villarreal Art Psychotherapist Birmingham: Compassionate, Creative Therapy for All

Fiona Villarreal Art Psychotherapist Birmingham brings a deeply personal and professional approach to mental health. She is a qualified art psychotherapist, trained to Master’s level. She is registered with the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

As a neurodivergent individual herself, Fiona brings valuable lived experience to her therapeutic work. Because of this, she is passionate about creating art therapy spaces that meet diverse needs. She strongly advocates for the neurodivergent (ND) community and promotes inclusive, accessible therapy.

Person-Centred Approach with Creative Freedom

Fiona’s therapy style is rooted in person-centred practice. She promotes autonomy in the therapeutic space and encourages clients to lead their healing process. While some experiences may be difficult to express, Fiona believes that art offers a powerful outlet.

Furthermore, she trusts in the creative process. Fiona sees every client as inherently creative. As individuals express themselves through art, they begin to access deeper emotional truths. This kind of self-led discovery supports long-term growth and healing.

Fiona Villarreal Art Psychotherapist Birmingham at The Priory

Fiona began her career supporting children and adolescents within community mental health settings. Her early work focused on looked after children with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD).

In 2018, she transitioned to inpatient mental health care. There, she worked across a range of challenging environments including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), high dependency units (HDU), eating disorder units (EDU), and psychiatric intensive care units (PICU). Her experience with developmental trauma equipped her for the complexity of inpatient cases.

In July 2022, she joined the addiction treatment programme. Fiona found that her knowledge of trauma, attachment, autism, and ADHD blended naturally with addiction therapy. Because of this overlap, she finds addiction work particularly meaningful.

Ongoing Training and Professional Development

Fiona’s educational path began with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University. She later completed her MA in Art Psychotherapy Practice through the Art Therapy Northern Programme at Leeds Beckett University.

She continues to grow professionally through additional CPD training. This includes:

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills

• Sex and love addiction

• Dyadic Art Psychotherapy Level 1

• Walk and talk therapy

• Outdoor art therapy

Why the Relationship Matters

Although Fiona is trained in psychodynamic approaches, she integrates other methods based on client needs. This flexible style strengthens the therapeutic relationship. In fact, research shows that the quality of the therapist-client relationship is key to successful outcomes.

Fiona commits to building trusting, mutual relationships that empower growth on both sides. She believes healing happens through connection, creativity, and compassion.