Dr Naomi Parsons

Chartered Psychologist sharing Hope and Healing through Creative Arts

Forty-Something Mum of 2 Young Girls ~ Late-Discovered Autistic, ADHD and PDA ~ Living with Chronic Fatigue, Hemiplegic Migraine and other Invisible Disabilities ~ Recovering from Burnout ~ Healing from Complex PTSD ~ Exploring a creative side that’s been ignored and suppressed for a life-time

I’m starting to believe that I am enough, and I’m slowly learning to unmask and discover who I really am

My story…

I discovered in my early 40s that I’m autistic and have ADHD; I’d been highly masking all my life and realised I have no idea who I actually am, what I like or what I need.

Deep in burnout, I reflected on when I’d been happiest and felt most alive, most myself. Immediately I remembered my GCSE Art Textiles class and my wonderful teacher Mrs Johnson. She let me break sewing machines experimenting with stitching into metal; she encouraged me to bring in an entire tree stump – crawling with woodlice – to recreate the beautiful patterns of bark in felt and fabric. I felt free and happy and the memories made a deep impression on me.

Now I knew where I needed to take my next steps.

In January 2025 I joined a pottery class. I felt lost and broken, and it felt like coming home, like breathing properly for the first time in years, like a drink in the desert.

I started to let go of perfectionism and let my creativity come out to play.

I joined an art class, wrote and performed poetry, connected with all sorts of inspiring people and realised that creativity wasn’t just an add-on luxury but the life-bones of my existence.

I don’t know where the journey will lead, but I know I need to be on this path.

Artist’s Statement

I’m a chartered psychologist and early career artist using clay, poetry and mixed mediums to share my journey of finding peace, hope and joy while navigating chronic illness, invisible disabilities, late-discovered neurodivergence, parenthood, burnout and PTSD. I have an experimental and exploratory style, leaning deep into my new-found intuition to create pieces with no fixed outcome in mind, letting the work produce itself over time. I weave psychological knowledge and skills throughout my creative work, which I hope will bring hope and healing to others

Examples of my work:

*“We are not Vessels”* on display at the Assembly Arts ‘Erudite’ exhibition in Lancaster Sept 2025 (photo credit: Rae Tribbick)

“*We are not Vessels”* shown in more detail.
The edge was purposefully left undone as a symbol of my journey and a reminder that our inner work is never ‘finished’

“Too Tired to be a Feminist” – debut performance poem at the Wordarium in Lancaster, July 2025
**trigger warnings for pregnancy, birth trauma and post–natal depression**

‘postnatal depression’ – clay sculpture, bisqued and awaiting pit fire

‘postnatal depression’ to show scale and a different angle

‘Clay play – a recovering perfectionist let’s out her inner child’

‘love your feet, love your path’ imprint on clay with oxides. A celebration of how far I’ve come on my journey of accepting myself and what life has given me that I wouldn’t have chosen but have learnt to accept and even embrace (on my better days!) This also represents sensory joy, the sheer delight of standing in clay, there was no agenda to this piece, it just came to fruition as I allowed myself to enjoy the sensory experience. My young daughter came to have a look as I was taking the photo. ‘They’re weird’ she said. Yes, my love. She then stood in my footprints and I smiled to myself. I hope she grows up knowing it’s ok to be weird, and it’s ok if your path looks different to other people’s. In fact, it can be wonderful 😊

‘beautiful and brave’ a vase for a friend going through surgery

‘glaze mixing, an experiment’ I’ve enjoyed making a range of plates and dishes, celebrating diversity and imperfection

‘flower bowl’ hand-built from b17 clay and painted with underglaze using wild flowers as paint brushes

‘Grounding Bowl’ b17 clay, oxides and clear glaze on the inside.
Another piece made with sensory joy, exploring the feel of the clay and creating contrasting surfaces: smooth and shiny on the inside (very soothing to run a finger around), matt and textured on the outside. The bottom fits perfectly in the hand and is heavily textured with my own palm lines indented where it’s been moulded in my hand. Also exploring the impact of glaze on the final appearance of the oxides. It has just the right weight to feel grounding but not too heavy. I hold this to anchor myself when things feel overwhelming

‘moonscape’ part 1, an exploration of texture and oxides

‘moonscape’ part 2, an exploration of oxides mixed into the clay body, held in the hand of a 3 year old

People have said lovely things about my work, here are some of my favourites:

“I am absolutely blown away!! So powerful. You clever, brilliant lady 😍“

“Naomi is doing powerful and important work. She is bringing together the psychological, personal and political in a new and unique way. I find her work extremely moving and am struck by how brilliantly she is able to communicate her messages through the medium of art.” – Dr Natalie Chambers, Counselling Psychologist

“Naomi’s work moves me because it reaches the places that logic can’t. In a world obsessed with productivity and proof, her art gives permission for emotion, ambiguity, and truth to exist without justification. It lands in the body and asks you to feel something real. It is brave, necessary, and a powerful reminder that we are always enough.” – Michelle Minnikin, Chartered Psychologist and author of the book ‘Good Girl Deprogramming’

“Beautiful, brave, vulnerable and bold”

“There are not enough words in the dictionary to fully explain how incredible Nae is. With all she faces, she keeps on going and I’m so utterly proud of her!” Ruth

“Phenomenal – the embodiment of psychology in artistic form. Inspiring, authentic and full of truth. You’re going to move mountains” – Dr Wendy Kendall, chartered psychologist

“Naomi has found her voice, and we need to hear it! Creative, inspiring and most importantly unapologetically truthful, Naomi cuts through shame, politics and culture to express what so many of us are feeling. A fresh, vibrant, and dynamic artist who is able to share with the world an authenticity of heart which makes people feel seen and heard.” – Rachel, school counsellor

coming soon, my new poem “Rainbow Unicorn – A Call to Education Reform”

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