Creative therapies

art and music creative therapies pilot program

Pilot Program 2025-27

Murray PHN is one of three PHNs nationally commissioned to provide music and art therapy services for people living with moderate to severe mental health conditions.

Our Creative Therapies Pilot Program has commissioned individual and group music and art therapy for children, young people and adults living with mental health conditions in Albury Wodonga, Castlemaine and Robinvale.

Creative therapists are allied health professionals who use creative modalities such as art, music and movement as a therapeutic approach to support emotional, cognitive, physical, and social wellbeing and development. The creative therapists delivering the pilot program are allied health clinicians who are registered with one of the following professional bodies:

Following its completion in June 2027, the pilot will be independently evaluated by The University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research.

Community consultation

From April to June 2025, Murray PHN consulted with community stakeholders to understand how to design an accessible creative therapies service that meet the needs of the pilot communities. This included face-to-face community focus groups, stakeholder interviews, yarning circles and a digital survey. There was strong engagement throughout the consultation process, including by many people with lived experience of mental health conditions, carers and the local creative therapy workforce. Consultation data contributed directly to designing the place-based service delivery models specific to each of the three locations. Click here to download the report.

Summary reports

Pilot program locations

  • Albury Wodonga | Gateway Health Wodonga: Child and Family Health Program – group and individual music and art therapy programs are available for children and young people up to 18 years of age. Call 02 6022 8888
  • Castlemaine | Dhelkaya Health – art therapy for individuals aged 13 to 65 experiencing mental health challenges, living in Mount Alexander and Macedon Ranges shires. Includes individual art therapy and six-week closed art therapy groups for adults. Newcomers or those looking to reconnect with the community can join the program’s open art therapy group. Call 03 5471 3555
  • Robinvale | Mallee Family Care – available for children and adults in the Robinvale community. Call 03 5023 5966 or email creativetherapies@malleefamilycare.com.au

Case study

In January 2026, an arts-based program was offered to families impacted by the Harcourt/Ravenswood bushfires, providing a calm space where children could come together to express themselves through art and play. Initiated by local art therapists, and supported by Castlemaine Community House and Dhelkaya Health through Murray PHN’s Creative Therapies pilot, the two-week program provided an opportunity for children to reconnect with creativity, fun and their peers.
The children engaged in a range of arts activities, including the creation of a banner featuring a phrase that emerged from conversations with impacted community members and local health workers. Through the painting of the words It’s OKAY, conversations organically started between the children about what those words meant to them.
Once completed, the banner was displayed in the community pantry as a visual support to community members, reassuring them that things were going to be okay.
Creative Therapist Meri said, “The kids took ownership of the artwork, proudly taking family members into the space to show it off.”

For further information

Catherine Threlfall, Creative Therapies Pilot Project Lead
cthrelfall@murrayphn.org.au

Last Update: June 25th, 2026

Murray PHN acknowledges its catchment crosses over many unceded First Nations Countries, following the Dhelkunya Yaluk (Healing River).

We pay our respects and give thanks to the Ancestors, Elders and Young people for their nurturing, protection and caregiving of these sacred lands and waterways, acknowledging their continuing cultural, spiritual and educational practices.

We are grateful for the sharing of Country and the renewal that Country gives us. We acknowledge and express our sorrow that this sharing has come at a personal, spiritual and cultural cost to the wellbeing of First Nations peoples. We commit to addressing the injustices of colonisation across our catchment, and to listening to the wisdom of First Nations communities who hold the knowledge to enable healing. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.