“I’m passionate about supporting others to find creative ways to express, explore and resolve difficulties, I love sharing opportunities for connection and creativity.”
A counselling psychologist and adult educator by training, Jacki Short of Sydney Centre for Creative Change has always been captivated by art, music, drama and all forms of creativity.
Painting the back fence with a bucket of water, making cubby houses for ants and concocting secret potions for her dolls were all part of her happy Sydney childhood.
Jacki has enjoyed wonderful opportunities in her working life to support children and young people with committed and dynamic teams of people over the last 30 years in counselling roles in drug and alcohol agencies, high schools and primary schools and in private psychology practice.
Teaching at a private counselling college in Sydney for 17 years built Jacki’s interest in and capacity for running her own training business in creative therapies.
Twenty years ago, Jacki set up Sydney Centre for Creative Change to teach psychologists, social workers, counsellors and others working in mental health a range of ways to engage with and help clients using creative therapies. Art, music, drama, play, storytelling and sandplay therapies are all creative therapies that can be used to help children and adults communicate the stories of their lives that words alone can not express. Training other mental health professionals in practical, skills and evidence-based creative therapies and hearing their positive reports of breakthroughs for the clients is one of the most fulfilling parts of her work.
Jacki says “I’m passionate about supporting others to find creative ways to express, explore and resolve difficulties, I love sharing opportunities for connection and creativity.”
Jacki joined the HerBusiness Network at the end of 2020 after feeling a surge in business growth and an increase in professional isolation. In the years since then, she has given and received support from other women in business and is always engaged in the Network and other HerBusiness programs such as The REACH Retreat to optimise her current business and build better systems to grow and improve.
In addition to her work, Jacki is passionate about ocean swimming, yoga, slow beach walks, improv theatre and her husband’s shortbread cookies.
Learn more about Jacki Short and Sydney Centre for Creative Change.
