Our Clinical Lead and Art Therapist, Dr Patricia Watts, recently attended the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society 2025 Conference in Helsinki, Finland. Read on to learn about her experience.

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Earlier this month, I had the privilege of representing Teapot Trust at the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS) 2025 Conference in Helsinki, Finland. PReS is the leading European scientific society for healthcare professionals working in paediatric rheumatology, and it was an honour to contribute to such a global gathering.

An Invitation to Showcase Art Therapy

I was warmly invited by Dr Polly Livermore, Health Professionals Chair at PReS, to deliver an art therapy workshop as part of a rotational programme. This unique session featured contributions from a music therapist and a CBT therapist, showcasing the breadth of psychosocial support available to young people living with rheumatological conditions.

The workshop drew a fantastic turnout of around 60 delegates, including nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists, and doctors from across the world.

Inside the Art Therapy Workshop

The session introduced a toolkit of activities designed to help children and adolescents express their experiences and needs. In art therapy, creative tools act as a bridge between young patients and their healthcare teams, enabling them to share important aspects of their lives—things that might not surface in conversation alone.

Activities explored in the workshop included ways for children to express:

• Their personal interests and identity

• Their journey to hospital

• Their condition and how it affects daily life

• Pain levels and emotional wellbeing

• Their goals for therapy

One highlight was inviting delegates to complete an “All About Me” activity, a simple exercise typically used in the first session to build rapport. Delegates then shared their creations with the person next to them, sparking laughter, conversation, and a reminder of how powerful creative connection can be.

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Many remarked how such activities could immediately help put a child at ease and encourage them to share more openly than they might through verbal communication alone.

Reflections on PReS

Attending PReS was an absolute privilege—not only to showcase Teapot Trust’s work but also to learn from an international community of colleagues across the multidisciplinary team. 

As well as meeting new colleagues from around the globe, it was also a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with rheumatology colleagues from across the UK—both those we have previously collaborated with and those we are currently working alongside.

Every session highlighted our shared goal: to deepen our skills and knowledge in order to better support the children and young people we serve.

At Teapot Trust, we are proud to “bring colour to young lives,” and it was inspiring to see art therapy recognised as an integral part of holistic care within paediatric rheumatology.