Student Feedback
The Tobias Community is a multi cultural, multi-lingual family of students.
We regularly ask for feedback from our students so that we can monitor if changes need to be made. Here is what some of our students past and present have to say about their time at Tobias:
Hanna – Modular Student – Cherry Tree Cohort (2020-2024)
… and lastly, but most importantly, I think you’re all wonderful and that this course is really and truly incredible! How you run it and the path of self discovery you send us on is quite magical and very, very inspiring. In fact it’s quite life changing. It felt important to tell you all that today.
Noriko – Modular Student – Cherry Tree Cohort (2020-2024)
I like the quote that someone said, “stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach”. So, I just would like to keep my journey as usual in the power of nature. My journey at the Tobias is really important for me from two aspects; one is for the regenerative design/society and the other is for my dream. I feel that I am so happy just to learn the transpersonal art and therapy at the Tobias.
Naomi – Wheat Cohort (2019-2022)
After two terms at Tobias we had to go into nearly a year of Lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic which was really disappointing after enjoying the environment of Tobias and the warm close working relationships with staff and fellow students.
However very soon via email and zoom meetings we were able to maintain continuous coursework and supported personal projects.
It is as though zoom meetings have always been part of the teaching methods, not something which the whole world had to adapt to last Spring.
Honey – Modular Student – Cherry Tree Cohort (2020-2024)
I am truly appreciative and thankful to Tobias School of Art and Therapy for having the course online during this pandemic. The learning experience for the first module was superb and the lessons were so well planned and prepared. All tutors were very considerate and supportive in all aspects, which included technology support. Reading materials and information that were needed for students to follow up on was easy to access on the Tobias’s website. All this has made the learning very effective and lively.
It was amazing to meet course mates from different countries at different time zone online too. The interaction between students via WhatsApp has its beauty and closeness.
I have been enjoying my online learning and looking forward to the next module.
Rosie – Rice Cohort (2020-2023)
My beginning at Tobias was filled with excitement and the course has continued to interest and inspire me. In the short time I have been at Tobias, I have learned so much, met lovely people, both students and staff and I know I have grown as a person. Going online left me feeling a bit bereft. I missed the calm, supportive environment wrapped in nature. However, I am grateful for the Technology that helped us to continue our studies. It has been a ride the last year because of the Pandemic, both restful and anxiety ridden at the same time and I am thankful to be a part of this course with its experiential and therapeutic nature.
Sonia – Modular Student – Cherry Tree Cohort (2020-2024)
Enrolling into the Tobias community has been one of the most rewarding decisions for me. Lockdown in the UK became a time to really think about those things that are personally important or even bigger than that. The online learning with Cherries (our cohort name) as a modular student has brought me great experiences; new compassionate colleagues, genuine listening and sharing with a richness of new ideas. I am loving everything about this course. Even learning online has worked so well. I feel a part of something very special and am excited to hope for an actual meeting with these generous people soon.
Drew – Wheat Cohort (2019-2022)
Working online this past year.
Studying and working from home, has opened up a new range of international relationships and possibilities for the way I now work and structure myself. It has also opened up the possibility for bad breath, stinky armpits and eyes burning from the intense blue glow of the Zoom logo.
Working and studying from home over these last few months has given me much more flexibility with my work and study arrangements, with many afternoons finding me juggling graphic design jobs and art projects in my pyjamas, like an excited circus monkey.
Not travelling into central London on busy stressful trains or buses, filled with frowning eyes that tut when you get too close, has been great. I now use that commute time for morning breathing exercises, daily Qi gong movements, and sometimes just more sleep.
Financial savings on travel have also been great as I’ve been riding my bike everywhere, which has pumped up my skinny legs a fair bit, this is a big thumbs up from my inner circus monkey.
The internet has made it possible for me to remain connected to school and with my work clients. Overall, Zoom has made communication so much easier and at times led to more efficient and effective meetings. However, working from home doesn’t provide the full-bodied interaction with my peers that I have become accustomed to at Tobias. I feel that nothing can replace that face-to-face connection with people that we enjoy being with. There have been many times I’ve felt disconnected, isolated and truly depressed about it, and other times when I’ve felt a Burn-out coming on.
Suddenly people have started to settle into this lockdown and are finding ways to make more money. I have become extremely busy with Zoom meetings all over my calendar and online placement sessions. Design jobs are increasing for me too, as everyone is striving for a greater online presence. Before I had a clearer physical distinction between work and home life, but now I’ve begun to find it difficult to differentiate between the two. Some days I just can’t switch off. My frowning circus monkey (illuminated by 2am laptop light), squeals inside me, and his tone suggests the beginnings of a mental health issue.
But thankfully the Tobias School of Art & Therapy has reopened its loving arms, allowing us to return to an environment that naturally nurtures these deep meaningful connections, promoting a truly healthy mind, body and soul. And I have realised that it is my soul that beats the drum creating the true rhythm my little circus monkey wishes to dance to. it is here at Tobias, away from the computers and the loud soundtrack of the city, that I can return to the silence and again begin to hear the rhythm of my soul’s pounding drum.
Nisha Halai: 2019 Graduate
Tobias taught me to become a healthy, balanced human being and their training helps me to go out and help support other people do the same.
It is not easy to take the plunge, it is quite a challenge and deeply humbling, you are taken apart in a beautiful way and then gently put together again to reach a higher potential.
Claudia Lee: 2019 Graduate
Being in the course at Tobias has been an incredible blessing. It was subtle at first, but the longer time went by the more amazing it all seemed… it was deep, transformative work, one that has been a capstone for sparking a different perspective on life, chock full of countless defining a-ha moments. It was like being in a soft, gentle cocoon with the wonderful insightful support of the staff, but jumping off the cliff simultaneously at 90 miles an hour into the deep end of growth. With no regrets. I am infinitely grateful to everyone at Tobias for their warmth and for making this experience possible.
Aya Husni Bey: 2018 Graduate
I wished to attend Tobias School of Art and Therapy for some time before I was ready to embark on this particular three year adventure; and it did not fall short of that. I walked through the doors of Tobias as if living an illusion, and with the supportive understanding and acceptance from all corners of the teaching and administration team I was able to land with a grounding that has served me well in this world. It was far from what I had anticipated, it exceeded my expectations, and here is the paradox. I entered a school as if conjured up by magic and left more integrated in this world than I have ever felt, and I have learnt to share with others ways to connect and experience the joy of self-empowerment.
Sheila (UK) 2018 Graduate
Joining and studying at Tobias school of art and therapy was the best decision of my career. Not only did I feel enriched with tools of the trade, but for the first time ever I felt completely supported. I felt that instead of trying hard to fit in with the world around me, I could bring my authentic self to light. The staff at Tobias are unusually kind and caring! They went to great lengths to ensure I was coping with my studies and getting help in ways I needed.
I felt part of something very special and I grew in confidence and strength. The support they gave me enabled me to start up a therapeutic arts department in a college that had never been able to offer this to students previously. I felt proud to pioneer this position with them – and the students loved the work.
For anyone who is interested in Art as therapy I would highly recommend joining Tobias. You will find yourself in a world of wonder. You will find gifts that money cannot buy, as you dive into self discovery and creativity. The opportunities for growth are profound.
Klari Gaspar (Hungary)
I have been studying here for half a year now and I really like how it is gently shaping me and my ideas. Tobias gives me a new yet very familiar philosophy and understanding of human nature. I feel that my competence to be an art therapist grows without me even noticing it, without any ingrained, too direct techniques. The “system” and the teachers give us a lot of freedom with a lot of support and knowledge. I am already very grateful to be here and I can’t wait to carry on.
Vanessa Snaith (Australia)
The training has stood me well over here in Oz where I can’t keep up with just how thirsty people seem to be for the artistic work which is wonderful. I’ve also had quite a renaissance with my own painting, which was an unexpected outcome of the course….. I just can’t stop now….. forming those habits of having painting projects constantly seems to have set up an ever perpetuating need for the paint brush (or I find myself feeling less than human!) So Tobias and your teaching has certainly opened up and enhanced my life. During my training I especially appreciated the open and creative way tutors and courses at Tobias supported me in beginning to find my own identity as a therapeutic practitioner.
Nandini (India) Dec 2018 Graduate
My time at Tobias has been tough, precious and life changing. I started with fear and doubt in a completely alien environment. But I was able to transform my experience to one of fulfilment and gratitude because of the heartfelt warmth I received from my teachers and guides at the school.
Hannah Simon (United Kingdom originally from Japan)
Thank you very much that you have looked after me so well. I always felt I was supported. It’s been wonderful and amazing journey in this four years at Tobias, and I was really lucky that I could complete it my training.
Barbara Asmal (United Kingdom)
My cohort was a diverse group of students from all over the world drawn together by a common interest. Tobias offered great riches both in the content of the courses and the teachers. The study of Rudolf Steiner`s lectures was at the heart of it then . Some highlights for me ….. apart from the joy of being able to “play” and create with colour nearly every day……. were chipping away at a stone carving, working with clay and getting an insight into eurythmy, speech and counselling skills. Personal projects helped us to get to know one another more deeply and I have fond memories of the social element ……. coffee and biscuits in the courtyard and celebrating the Festivals.
Gerd Eve Thoresen (Norway)
I found the course at Tobias school inspiring and helpful for working with children that have different needs, also combined with other curative work with the children.
Cheri Munske (United States of America)
In addition to painting, drawing and sculpture, I offer individuals and groups other therapeutic expressive arts such as puppetry, storytelling, and writing. This work is deeply fulfilling for me, and it is ever a privilege to share this journey into the soul with another human being. I am very grateful to Tobias for giving me the tools and confidence to work in this realm.
Sheila Mackay: (England)
I was part of a modular course at Tobias. There was something very social and supportive about our group – we came from around the globe and our birthdays circled the zodiac. Our twice yearly meetings at Tobias were very intense, hard work, and enriching, and they stand out as a very special time in my life. Good friends were made.
Anni D’Agostino (Scotland)
I graduated from a Tobias Modular group and have since continued and developed my work. I have been working individually with pupils with special needs at Camphill School in Aberdeen.
During my training I especially appreciated the open and creative way tutors and courses at Tobias supported me in beginning to find my own identity as a therapeutic practitioner.
I work with 14 pupils a week; many have features of Autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Some live with anxieties, obsessions, ADHD, challenging behavior and many with difficult family histories.
