Lavanya is an Art Psychotherapist and Project Worker on the 8+ Project. In her work with groups and individuals at MCFB, she draws on experience working with people across fields including art therapy, community-led design, and the visual arts, to facilitate spaces where people can express their thoughts and feelings, explore their experiences, and feel heard.

Lavanya has worked with children, young people, adults, and older adults in a range of settings including schools, social care, disability services, and community organisations across Scotland. Her MSc in Art Psychotherapy supports Lavanya to help the people she works with understand how past experiences can impact our lives in the present. She brings a flexible, trauma-sensitive, non-judgemental approach which is guided by what matters to each individual or group.

Having grown up between multiple cultures and countries, Lavanya is interested in our complex experiences of identity, home, and belonging. She loves exploring how our relationships with the natural world and the landscapes we’ve lived in can support our wellbeing and sense of connection to ourself and others. In her free time she enjoys making art, sharing yummy food with friends and family, and exploring new places and green spaces with her dog Franzi.