Expressive and Therapeutic Arts

Sometimes words are not the only way into a story

Conversation is at the center of my counseling practice. For people who are interested, our work may also include simple creative or expressive activities as a way to reflect, remember, notice, or communicate something that feels difficult to say directly.

A color, image, photograph, piece of music, poem, object, metaphor, or small act of making can sometimes help a person approach experience from a different direction. The goal is not artistic skill. There is nothing to perform and nothing to get right.

A clear distinction

I hold a bachelor’s degree in expressive therapeutic arts and have had training experiences that included work alongside an art therapist. I am not a credentialed art therapist, and I do not provide art therapy. When creative practices are used in my counseling work, they are optional, supportive, and integrated within the scope of clinical mental health counseling.

Your voice, your pace

One of the most important lessons I learned while working alongside an art therapist was the importance of boundaries and the way thoughtful creative work can help people find their own voice rather than having meaning imposed on them. That continues to shape my approach.

I will not tell you what an image “means.” I will be curious about what it means to you. The same is true of your story. Therapy is not about fitting your life into someone else’s interpretation. It is about helping you hear yourself more clearly.