Remember: you are already whole
About Me:
Hi, I’m Meigan! I am based in Burnaby, BC, on the ancestral, unceded territory of the hən̓̓qəmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples. I am an art therapist, early interventionist, and embodiment facilitator deeply committed to guiding others on their journey of self-discovery through creative, playful, and compassionate avenues.
I believe that embodying our authentic expression is the most beautiful aspect of being human, and that we are all inherently made to express, feel, play, and shine! My work, whether with children or adults, utilizes a playful, curious, and compassionate lens, which supports my belief that nothing is too daunting to explore and transform with the right support. Beyond therapy, my passions for dancing, art, cooking, and nature fuel my love of authentic expression!
My career began as a gymnastics coach, choreographer, and summer camp coordinator, which laid the foundation for my love of children and informed my holistic, body-based approach to creative therapies. After earning my art therapy degree in 2012, I enjoyed art therapy roles at summer camps and community events before embarking on a significant and long lasting role at the Pace Program - an early intervention center for children and their families.
My work in both the family program and with individual art & play therapy at the Pace Program has profoundly shaped my understanding of how childhood traumas, both big and small, can persist as long-lasting patterns into adulthood.
With extensive training in attachment theory, nervous system regulation, emotional development, and interpersonal neurobiology, my experience at the Pace Program has been vital in developing my approach to working with both adults and children. This perspective was further strengthened through a certificate in Somatic Attachment Therapy through the Embodylab in 2021. I truly believe that as we begin to uncover and heal these unconscious patterns from childhood within ourselves, we can rediscover our authentic selves and radiate our brilliance to the world!
I was born a feeler. The world touches me deeply, in beautiful and sometimes excruciatingly painful ways. There have been times in my life when I wished I could turn off this sensitivity…to numb the sensations and be free from the overwhelm.
Yet, over the years, I have learned how I can USE this sensitivity, THROUGH the body, to expand my capacity to hold, feel, release, and express more fully, essentially living a more full and vibrant life. As Bessel van der Kolk states, “the body keeps the score”, and as long as we are blocking the full spectrum of feeling from move through, we will accidentally foster states of inner dis-ease.
A personal note on body wisdom:
Over the past decade, I have been blessed to receive in-depth, regular training in ways to support sensitive bodies in navigating the world. Training included body-based approaches to regulating the nervous system, co-regulation strategies, emotional regulation, interpersonal neurobiology and attunement, the neurobiology of trauma, and the impact of early attachment in our later years, including how to foster healthy attachment patterns later in life.
Credentials and Continued Education - BA D.Vati
Education and Certificates:
Diploma of Art Therapy - Vancouver Art Therapy Institute 2012
Bachelor of Psychology / Art Minor - Trinity Western University 2010
Somatic Attachment Therapy Certificate - The Embody Lab -2022
Trauma Informed Practices & Expressive Arts therapy Institute:
Body Based Approaches To Expressive Art Therapy - 2023
Expressive Art Therapy Approaches To Self Regulation and Stress Reduction - 2022
Circles of Security Parent & Caregiver Facilitator Training - 2021
Continued Education:
Raising Resilient Children: Recovering and Developing Resilience in Indigenous Communities - Denise Findlay - 2020
Reiki Level 1 - 2019
The Early Years Conference - 2018, 2021, 2022
Neufeld Conference - 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Lisa Dion:
Helping Children through Divorce and Separation 2024
Working with Parents in the Playroom 2024
Regulating Through the Coronavirus- Part 2: Working Through Exhaustion, Burnout, and Compassion Fatigue - 2020
Emotional Regulation With Children & Youth: Building Your Toolbox - 2018
Responding to Children’s Sexualized Behaviour - Boundaries Program – Vancouver Coastal Health - 2021
Sexual Abuse Prevention Through Talking About Personal Space (TAPS): BC Play Therapy Association - 2019
Canada’s Shared History Through an Indigenous Lens - Raven Institute -2018
Using Expressive Therapy With Children & Youth: Building Your Toolbox - Cameray Child & Family Services - 2017
Assessment & Family Centered Practices in Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Early Intervention Programs - UBC - 2016
Balancing Conflicting Interests: Counsellors and Clinical Records - Maureen McEvoy - 2015
Working With Anxious Children and Youth - Cameray Child & Family Services2014
The Miracle of Systems Thinking: Family Therapy In Action - A Living Systems Conference 2013
FASD: Understanding Trauma Conference - 2013
