Alumni and Supporters

Wednesday, 02 December 2020

Diana Randall has always been a relationship builder. Born in Perth to an English mother and Indian father, Diana was a globetrotter who lived in many countries during her childhood.

After living in London during the Swinging Sixties and later working as a teacher in Manchester in the 1980’s, Diana returned to Perth in 1992, completing a Diploma of Arts and Design at Claremont College before going on to study a Master of Art Therapy at ECU in 1996.

“I had enjoyed art ever since I was at school in London and these courses [in Perth] gave me the opportunity to develop this passion further.

During my education career I always preferred building on relationships with people rather than focusing solely on curriculum and exams, so the Art Therapy Masters gave the best opportunity to combine that with art ”, explains Diana.

While at ECU, Diana was taught by the late Dr Michael Campanelli, whom she describes as “the most amazing art therapist” and a passionate advocate for ECU’s art therapy students.

Dr Campanelli encouraged Diana to get involved as one of ECU’s student representatives developing the first professional body to represent art therapy students in Australia. Over time, that grew into the Australian New Zealand Art Therapy Association (ANZATA), and has now blossomed into the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA).

“It was exciting to think we were helping develop the profile of art therapy for Australia, seeking accreditation and, going forward, into the international body it has become.”

While studying, Diana was able to find relief work teaching at Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre and Rangeview Remand Centre.

“As soon as people found out the work I had done in England, which often focused on the more difficult client groups, there were offers to work at these centres.”

Being an only child, Diana decided to move back to London to look after her mother, whose health was failing. She found a job working in Ladbroke Grove West London at a unit specifically designed for students with behavioural issues.

“One day walking in I saw this familiar face from Banksia Hill in Perth, a teacher I had worked with called Stuart. He’d dropped by to get resources, as he had worked there briefly himself.”

Stuart suggested Diana come see him in the Young Person’s Unit (YPU) at the psychiatric hospital in London where he was now working, as they were looking to expand the education team. Diana ended up at Nightingale Hospital, where she has worked for the past 17 years. She started as part time Education Coordinator, but that post was made redundant after a couple of years and Diana was offered sessional work covering Art Therapy sessions at the main hospital.

“That was my chance to move into the psychotherapy side, which is what I’d always wanted to do. The role just grew and grew from just covering the Art Therapy groups. I’d go in and be asked, ‘do you think you could cover the Interpersonal Therapy groups (IPT), the Cognitive Behavioural groups (CBT - my teaching background helped here), Drama Therapy’, and so on. Eventually, from starting with Art Therapy I ended up covering groups in every area of the hospital: General Psychiatric, Eating Disorder Unit (EDU), Addictions Unit (ADU), and so on,” explains Diana. She now has regular sessions, including an Art Therapy group of her own.

Diana uses art to stimulate right-brain activity in order to enhance the imagination of her patients and help them see problems from a different perspective. She says Art Therapy has benefits in Western culture, which tends to be left-brain centric (analytical and critical).

“Ideally, it’s best to have a balance between the two, the right brain activities connect more with the subconscious mind, imagination, dreaming, feelings that we’re not consciously acknowledging.”

In forging a career overseas, Diana says it’s important to build your networks and seek out the correct course accreditations for your profession.

“Building up a network is really important, whatever you want to do, wherever you are, whatever field you are in, the more you can network the better.

Whatever country you want to practice in find out what the requirements are for practicing in that country in your chosen field.”

Diana regularly travels to Perth and is incredibly excited to hear about the opening of the ECU City Campus in 2025.

“It is so exciting to see the sleepy small-town university - which is rather how ECU felt back in the 90’s - transform into a very modern and enterprising university. I think having a city campus can bring a lot more vibrancy to the life of the city.”