Art Therapy/Psychotherapy
What is Art Therapy?
"Art Therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.
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Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone....Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience, and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation."​
American Art Therapy Association abridged definition
For the full definition and more about how we use Art Therapy, click the link below. You can also continue reading this page for my approach and benefits of working together.
How We Work Together
We work within a supportive, creative, open space, and we get curious, together. Being in it together is important as so much of what we've gone through, we've had to do alone. Having a trusted other with us on this journey can make all the difference.
We explore not only the tough stuff, we also spend time with what's working in your life. Many ask, why come to therapy to be with what's working when I can do that on my own. The question is, do you? Most of us don't. And yet, the more we give attention to what is working, the more it embeds in our system, the safer it feels, and the more we live it in our life.
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We also give attention to the many and often conflicting parts that live within us. It can be hard to imagine, as sometimes we just want one part to go away, yet all parts of us are there for a reason, and it turns out that when they feel heard and understood; they can settle down.
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How do we do all of this? Well, we may use art, talk, mindfulness, role play, guided imagery, body awareness, whatever you experience that is of value and aligns with your goals.
Benefits of Working Together Can Be
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Seeing that you have choices where you may have thought none were possible
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Gaining compassion for yourself
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Building self-esteem
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Developing the capacity to tolerate thoughts and feelings that may never before have felt okay
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Uncovering strengths and resiliencies
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Experiencing hope
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Recognizing barriers to love and removing them
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Being freer in relationships - romantic, family, friendships, work
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Connecting and/or reconnecting to your creativity
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Moving beyond career related roadblocks
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Having more access to pleasure
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Replacing depression with a wider range of feelings and experiences
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Working through traumatic life events
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Developing skills to cope with, and alleviate, anxiety
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Having a positive experience that can be rich, creative, enlivening and even fun
