 |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
Nurture Your Emotional Health
Art Therapy combines visual art making and psychotherapy in a creative process aimed at improving a person's physical, mental, and emotional well being. People of all ages can benefit from art therapy and previous art experience is not necessary.
I work with individuals, communities and groups interested in exploring
-
reconciliation & decolonization
-
trauma, grief and loss
-
anxiety & depression
-
managing life transitions
-
community healing
People of all ages can benefit from art therapy. You don’t need to be an artist or have been trained in any way to receive the benefits of art therapy. I will work with you to find the right materials and mode of expression to suit your abilities and needs and can help you find the underlying messages communicated uniquely by you through your art. The more you experiment the more comfortable you will feel with this mode of expression. It is my belief that you will find an unending source of health and wellbeing by engaging in a regular practice of art making.
About Art Therapists
Art therapists are trained in both art and psychotherapy. They are knowledgeable about human development, psychological theories, clinical practice, spiritual, multicultural and artistic traditions and the healing potential of art. They use art in treatment, assessment, and research, and provide consultation to allied professionals. Art Therapists work with people of all ages, from young children to the elderly. They work with individuals, couples, families, groups, and even communities. They provide services, individually and as part of clinical teams, in settings that include mental health, rehabilitation, medical and forensic institutions, community outreach programs, wellness centers, schools, nursing homes, corporate organizations, open studios and independent practice.
Who can benefit from art therapy?
Anyone can benefit from art therapy. I have worked with children, adults, residential school survivors, and their families led workshops with multicultural groups, corporate teams, and youth. Art therapy benefits can be felt across cultures and ages and can reach beyond the typical barriers that language can create. Art uses the language of the image which is universal and has the capacity to communicate so much more than words. When we have experienced trauma or extreme emotional upset it can be very difficult to express ourselves in the limited range of words. Art therapy opens up our ability to communicate what seems impossible to explain. Art therapists are trained to help clients understand this nonverbal language and find meaning. Every client is different and each artwork as unique as the individual. Work is not analyzed by the therapist, the meaning is found by the client through dialogue with the therapist. It is through this process that the individual really begins to see the effects of art therapy as new insights are realized. In this way, each client becomes the lead in their own therapy and the therapist is there to support them.
"To liberate the individual from fears and anxieties helps them to live life to the fullest; creative work is believed to be part of this as it offers the experience of free choice and the opportunity to make sense of what seems senseless and meaningless." B.Moon (2005)