I am pleased to introduce a new artwork into my therapy space: Where Silence Gathered by artist Dana Dion.

For some time, I had been looking to fill a white wall in my practice space with artwork that reflected something of my therapeutic lens, but I had never quite found the right piece. Then Where Silence Gathered appeared in my inbox. As I read the description and explored Dana’s background and work, I felt an immediate connection. After contacting her and reading her reflections on the painting, that connection deepened further. I realised it was not only a perfect fit for the space, but also a piece that could invite deeper reflection and conversation with clients.

Dana describes the title as emerging when the painting was nearly complete: a moment when it felt like “a quiet presence, a space where thoughts, emotions and experiences can exist without the need to be resolved” (Dion, 2026, personal communication).

Her reflections on nature as a place of rest and belonging, and on painting through memory, atmosphere, and feeling rather than a fixed landscape, felt especially meaningful to me. They resonate both personally and in my work as a therapist.

Space for What Is Present

Like many people, I find nature can offer a sense of belonging, restoration, and reflection. Its spaciousness feels closely aligned with the therapeutic process: awareness, safety, and wellbeing often emerge slowly and gently.

In my practice, I aim to offer a space where people can slow down, notice what is present, and develop greater self-awareness without pressure to immediately explain, solve, or resolve their experience.

Holding Complexity

I am also drawn to the layering in Dana’s work. The painting holds depth, texture, and accumulation in a way that feels true to the complexity of being human.

We are not singular or simple. We are biological and embodied beings, shaped by our cells, the lineage carried in our DNA, family stories, culture, place, memory, relationships, experience, and the everyday conditions of our lives: the food we eat, the rest we receive, and the environments in which we live. Each of these layers can remain with us, sometimes quietly, as meaning continues to emerge over time. Sometimes the invitation is not to resolve every layer at once, but to notice what is there, honour it, and allow meaning to emerge over time.

I hope Where Silence Gathered offers clients a sense of calm, reflection, and quiet possibility. For me, it is more than a visual piece in the room or on my website; it expresses something of the atmosphere I hope my work holds: spacious, grounded, and open to the unfolding of each person’s experience.

There is a growing body of research exploring the relationship between art, wellbeing, and healthcare environments. While simply viewing artwork is different from participating in art therapy, thoughtfully chosen art can contribute to a setting that feels more welcoming, calming, and open to reflection. For me, this piece is not intended to do therapeutic work on its own; rather, it is part of creating a space where people may feel able to pause, notice, and connect with their own experience.

Explore Therapy

If this reflection resonates with you, therapy can offer space to attend to what matters, make sense of your experience, and allow meaning to emerge in your own time. If this article resonates, and you are looking for support that is warm, collaborative, specialist sex therapy, you’re welcome to book your first session with me.

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Sources

Joschko, R., Klatte, C., Grabowska, W. A., Roll, S., Berghöfer, A., & Willich, S. N. (2024). Active visual art therapy and health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open, 7(9), e2428709. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.28709[1]

Lankston, L., Cusack, P., Fremantle, C., & Isles, C. (2010). Visual art in hospitals: Case studies and review of the evidence. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 103(12), 490–499.