Rate My Professor Fiona Gardner

Gardner has actively contributed to the development and promotion of these programs. In April 2018, following the opening of a dedicated arts therapies teaching space at Murdoch's Mandurah campus, she remarked, “The arts are understood to play a central role in human culture. Working with each person’s potential for growth and creative expression, the course ensures the arts are central to the therapeutic process.” She further noted, “It is very rewarding to see the art therapies teaching space alive with the energy of creative exploration and commitment to learning as students embrace the rewarding challenge of training in the creative arts therapies. We are delighted at the success of the course so far and enthusiastic about the strong interest it is continuing to generate.” In June 2019, Gardner discussed the stress-relieving benefits of creative arts, stating that “painting and drawing can work like meditation, reducing feelings of stress and increasing feelings of relaxation.” She elaborated, “Engaging in creative methods can help us process overwhelming feelings, in addition to helping us face life’s dilemmas,” and that “making and collaborating in creative arts activities is an ideal way to engage in a situation where you might be able to discover more about what is going on in that part of us we don't often think about.” Gardner is also listed as an Academic Staff Member in Murdoch University's Ally Network.