“In this post, we explore how creating mandalas through the Suzanne Fincher model can deepen your art therapy practice and support emotional healing…”
Creating Mandalas for Healing and Self-Discovery
“Each person’s life is like a mandala — a vast, limitless circle. We stand in the centre of our own circle and everything we see, hear, and think forms the mandala of our life.”
— Pema Chödrön
Mandalas — circular designs that symbolise wholeness — have been used across cultures for centuries as tools for meditation, healing, and self-reflection. In art therapy, creating mandalas can help express emotions, explore inner patterns, and bring calm to the mind.
Psychotherapist and art therapist Suzanne Fincher developed a beautiful framework for understanding the stages of personal growth through mandala creation. Her model, inspired by Jungian psychology, sees mandalas as mirrors of the psyche — each one reflecting a phase of our inner journey.
The Suzanne Fincher Model: The Great Round of Mandala
Fincher’s model, known as The Great Round of Mandala, describes twelve stages that represent different aspects of the human experience — from new beginnings to transformation and integration. These stages aren’t linear; rather, they spiral and repeat as we grow and change.
Here’s a glimpse of some key stages you might recognise in your own creative process:
- Stage One – The Void: A time of stillness or uncertainty. Your mandala might appear as open space, soft colours, or simple shapes. It reflects the fertile emptiness before something new begins.
- Stage Two – Bliss: A feeling of flow, joy, and connection. Mandalas here might include circular or spiralling patterns — representing energy and movement.
- Stage Four – Beginning: Emerging energy, direction, and new structure. Shapes like triangles or paths might appear as we move from potential into form.
- Stage Six – The Dragon Fight: This stage symbolises struggle, self-confrontation, or facing the shadow. Mandalas can be bold or chaotic, expressing inner conflict or transformation.
- Stage Nine – Crystallisation: A time of clarity and integration — the pieces begin to come together. Symmetry and balanced shapes often emerge naturally.
- Stage Twelve – Transcendent Ecstasy: Union, wholeness, peace. These mandalas often radiate harmony — representing connection with self and the greater whole.
Each stage offers a snapshot of where we are in our emotional and spiritual growth. By creating mandalas regularly, we can observe shifts in our inner world over time.
Creating Your Own Healing Mandala
You don’t need to be an artist to create a mandala — only a willingness to explore. Here’s how to begin:
- Set an intention: Take a moment to breathe and notice how you’re feeling. You might ask yourself, “What part of me needs attention today?”
- Draw your circle: A simple circle can be traced with a bowl or compass. This boundary becomes your sacred space for expression.
- Let your intuition lead: Choose colours, shapes, and patterns freely. Allow your hand to move without overthinking — the mandala will unfold naturally.
- Reflect: When finished, take time to observe. What feelings or thoughts arise? Which stage of Fincher’s model might your mandala represent today?
- Journal your insights: Write down reflections or messages that surfaced. Over time, your mandalas become a visual journal of your personal evolution.
Why Mandalas Heal
Creating within a circle brings a sense of safety and containment. It quiets the analytical mind and allows the deeper, intuitive self to speak. Whether you’re navigating change, seeking balance, or simply wanting to reconnect with yourself, mandala art therapy can be a gentle yet profound practice for creative healing and self-discovery.
Final Reflection
Every time you draw a mandala, you’re creating a visual map of your soul’s unfolding — a reminder that even in times of confusion, there is an underlying pattern of wholeness waiting to be revealed.
If you would like to have a session to explore mandalas, I offer online sessions wherever you are in Australia. I also offer a 12 week course covering the 12 mandalas of The Great Round.
