Kat Mahale

The Artist

I'm a portrait and self-portrait photographer, curator, mentor, author and speaker based near London, creating safe spaces for people to notice themselves more deeply through Therapeutic Photography and my Felt Sense methodologies. I'm fascinated by the incredible power of images to positively impact our lives, and my approach was developed following a self-portrait shoot in 2018 where I healed myself from life-long depression. I now help others to use photography and the Felt Sense in different ways to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

I'm currently consolidating my Felt Sense practice with the British Focusing Association and have recently done a TEDx talk on my approach. I'm qualified in Therapeutic Photography from the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, trained in the evidence-based Look Again Mindful Photography Methodology and a member of The International Focusing Institute.

My work has been described as, 'amazing and pioneering', by Judy Weiser (founding pioneer of Therapeutic Photography and Photo Therapy), I was interviewed live on Instagram by Rankin in 2021 and selected to be in his 'Unseen' London exhibition in 2022. I am a contributor to the Royal Photographic Society's Women in Photography and I’ve been interviewed live on BBC Radio Surrey Breakfast Show. I'm a regular speaker at The Photography Show where the UNITY exhibition was shown in March 2024 (Birmingham's NEC) and the HERE I AM exhibition was shown in March 2025 (London Excel).

I was one of 100 UK photographers chosen for the 2020 Vision Project honouring NHS and healthcare workers and am currently involved in the 40% Project from the Royal Photographic Society, Women in Photography. I've had written work published on Thrive Global and Reasons to be Cheerful and I published my first book in 2024, What Now?