ACC Sensitive Claim Group Therapy

Group Therapy for ACC Sensitive Claims Clients

Group therapy is available for clients with an active ACC Sensitive Claim who are already engaged in individual counselling. This offering is designed as adjunctive therapy, complementing each participant’s personal therapeutic journey.

I facilitate these groups alongside another experienced therapist to ensure a supportive and well-held environment.

At present, the ACC-approved group is an in-person Creative Art and Nature-Based Retreat held in Golden Bay.

Later in the year, a 10-week online holistic art and somatic therapy group will also be available.

Creative Art & Nature-Based Retreat

(ACC-funded for Sensitive Claims clients)

Overview

This retreat is designed for a small group of six clients who have experienced sexual trauma and are living with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Held in the peaceful setting of Wainui Bay, just next to the Abel Tasman National Park, the retreat combines creative arts therapy and nature-based practices to support:

  • emotional regulation,
  • trauma recovery, and
  • reconnection with self and others.

The venue includes an Art Therapy studio, three on-site bedrooms, additional nearby accommodation within the community, and access to beautiful natural landscapes ideal for reflection and grounding.

This is a multi-day residential retreat in Golden Bay, open to clients from anywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Transport to and from Nelson airport is available on Thursday midday and Sunday evening for an additional cost.

Retreat Purpose

The retreat provides a space in which participants can:

  • Reconnect with themselves in body and mind
  • Regulate their nervous systems through art and nature-based practices
  • Express and explore their inner experiences in a creative, non-verbal way
  • Build empowerment, resilience, and community in a supportive group setting

Participants will work on a layered creative process: beginning with a blank canvas on Thursday and completing a finished artwork by Sunday. This mirrors the therapeutic journey—moving from grounding and presence, to emotional exploration, to integration and wholeness.

Retreat Objectives

  1. Promote nervous system regulation
    – Use movement, art-making, and grounding in nature to reduce anxiety and hyperarousal.
  2. Reduce rumination and increase present-moment awareness
    – Support embodied experiences that shift attention away from distressing thought loops.
  3. Enable non-verbal trauma expression
    – Provide safe, symbolic pathways for expression when words feel overwhelming.
  4. Strengthen self-worth and identity
    – Reconnect participants with their creative strengths and inner resources.
  5. Build supportive group experience
    – Foster connection, validation, and belonging to counteract isolation in trauma recovery.

Upcoming Retreats

  • Group 1: Women-only group – 21–24 May 2026
  • Group 2: Women-only group – 10-13 September 2026

Both groups are open to adults 18+, with participants matched to the group that best supports their identity, needs, and preferences.

Information for Lead Providers

Process for Referrals:

  1. Submit a Purchase Order Request to the client’s Recovery Partner.
  2. Provide rationale and request the following ACC funding codes:
    • SCSGTT x1
    • SCSGT x26 (11 sessions delivered over 4 days)

Provider details:

  • Vendor ID: GO9842 (Sash Nelson)
  • Lead Provider: Damiet Loor (PAR760)
  • Co facilitator: Renee Fisher

Facilitation & Safety

This group is trauma-informed and facilitated by two experienced therapists. The structure of the retreat is designed to:

  • support nervous system regulation,
  • encourage safe emotional expression, and
  • nurture personal agency in a contained, culturally responsive, and supportive environment.

This retreat offers an integrated pathway for healing—combining the restorative power of nature, the creative process of art-making, and the safety of therapeutic group connection.