Mariëtte Hutton, an accredited art therapist, is a gifted artist who, with her talent, is a great asset to GHPS’s (Good Hope Psychological Service) service.
She was born in Vanderbijlpark where she spent her childhood year from where she moved with her parents to Sasolburg at the age of 9. They later moved to Alberton where she finished her secondary school education .
After obtaining her BA (Log) degree from the University of Pretoria, she has been practicing speech therapy and audiology for 25 years. During this time she does therapy at schools for the cerebral palsy and clinics of the Department of Education.
For the next 15 years she has run her own private practice, and at that time she also obtained an education in psychology and functional therapy. Later she followed this up with art studies and studies in the use of expressive art forms in therapy.
Mariëtte has been working at GHPS as a therapist from the beginning of this year. She is registered with ASCHP (https://www.aschp.net/), an accredited board for, among other counselors.
Her work at GHPS involves therapy and emotional support to traumatized clients in particular (eg due to sexual abuse and emotional abuse). She also provides therapy to people who have to deal with loss and loneliness, depression, identity problems, stress and anxiety as well as relationship problems.
“I mainly use expressive art forms such as movement, writing, painting, drama as well as a technique called ‘Guided Drawing’ to guide clients,” Mariëtte explains .
“The use of art in therapy is still quite unknown in South Africa. I enjoy guiding clients to new insights, skills, hopes and prospects as well as helping them to think in a problem solving manner through the use of various art forms. It offers them an alternative way to help them deal with their problems.”
According to Mariëtte, a collective challenge in our country is the lack of enough institutions to be able to help the tremendous psychological needs of traumatized people professionally. We also need institutions and procedures that can make reporting and investigations more accessible and handle it in a more victim-friendly and supportive way.
Mariëtte is married to Harold and has three married children and five grandchildren who give them great joy.
Contact Mariëtte Hutton at [email protected].