Creative Arts Psychotherapist, Actress, Drama Teacher and Expressive Arts Consultant, Varia gained her Master of Arts in Drama & Movement Therapy from the University of London, through the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. She holds a Diploma in Acting from the Guildford School of Acting in Surrey, England, a Diploma in Education from the Barbados Community College and a Diploma in Performance Arts Teaching from Stagecoach Theatre Arts School in the UK. Varia is also a trained Lawyer, called to the Barbados Bar in 1999, she gained her LLB from the University of The West Indies, Cave Hill campus and her Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad & Tobago.

Apart from her years of experience in performance, Varia’s works with children, adolescents and adults, individually or through group-work using the creative arts to address social, emotional, behavioural and mental health concerns.

Locally, regionally and internationally, Varia has worked with a number of development institutions on issues related to Gender, Human Rights and Mental Health. She has coordinated and conducted workshops in Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Belize, Fiji, Namibia and the United Kingdom.

As a development consultant, teacher, activist and artist, Varia’s principal objective has been to establish a non-traditional, participatory, creative experience that encourages and facilitates a deeper understanding of self for all. In this regard, she incorporates work related to identity, communication, conflict resolution, compassionate thinking, and confidence-building, through the use of a trauma-informed approach to art, drama, movement and play techniques.