I’m Aishu Madduri-Yorston, an anti-supremacist and decolonial Art Therapist based in Scotland. I was born in Hyderabad, India and brought up in Bahrain. I speak Telugu, Hindi and English, and offer sessions in the same.
My passion for Art Therapy stems from my own experiences with art making and personal well-being. For me, creating and expressing through art making is a form of deep self care. I was always a creative person, right from the start – usually staining many walls and carpets in my parents’ home! As I grew older, I realised I found great joy and connection to myself whenever I made art. My curiosity was ignited and I wanted to offer the kind of deeply supportive holding that art provided for me. Upon researching, I found that there was an entire profession dedicated to supporting people’s wellbeing through the creative process – I knew that this is what I was meant to do. I then earned a Master’s in Art Psychotherapy at Queen Margaret University, Scotland in 2018; and have been practising ever since.
I find great satisfaction in being an empathetic partner for young adults, offering supportive perspectives and guidance in their healing. I am especially passionate about working with South Asian youth – to support them in healing and empowering themselves. I am this keen to work with younger generations because we truly demonstrate the willingness to choose differently for ourselves (look at me!). This is foundational for any kind of inner work. The youth have the fire and the desire for change, and I want to amplify that!
I am trauma informed and committed to creating kind, safe/brave, non judgemental and anti-oppressive environments which encourage openness and foster trust with clients. I am extremely passionate about promoting and nurturing holistic individual and community wellbeing. I am actively decolonising my therapeutic practice and questioning the applicability of therapeutic models to the South Asian population. I am also committed to dismantling all kinds of supremacy and finding new ways of working that honour the whole human(s) I’m working with.
Art Therapy with Aishu 