My approach
The Expressive Art Therapy Process
Expressive Arts Therapy offers a unique opportunity to slow down, drop in, and access deep, visceral, non-verbal ways of knowing.
Using movement, paint, sculpture, voice, drawing, and play, we open doorways to rich self-discovery and profound healing. As we curiously explore our inner landscapes, we move beyond comfort zones, release inner judgements, and engage with conscious awareness of body sensation.
The magic of this exploration is that no prior art experience is required. In fact, sessions may involve shifting abilities—such as using your non-dominant hand or closing your eyes—to loosen judgment and allow authentic expressions to emerge.
Both the process of art creation and our engagement with the finished product provide deep insights, allowing us to shift narratives that no longer serve us while illuminating our truest desires.
The Power of Play
Healing Doesn’t Have To Be So Serious!
As humans, we are wired to play.
No matter your age, PLAY is a natural avenue for healing, expressing, self-discovery, and well-being.
In fact, studies show that when adults engage in play (whether in therapy, the workplace, or at home), they enhance creativity and innovative thinking, reduce stress and burnout, increase brain plasticity, and nurture a general sense of happiness and well-being.
By embracing play and light-heartedness in therapy, we can explore deep, dark, and even scary topics in a gentle, non-threatening way.
We can more gently navigate our inner shadows, coming to deeper levels of self-understanding without activating trauma responses.
So let’s RECLAIM PLAY and connect to our joy, laughter, silliness, & creativity on this healing journey together!
Reclaim play at any age
Nervous System & Trauma Informed
Restore balance and resilience from the inside out
Let’s face it - our modern, fast paced lives can overwhelm our nervous systems, leading to dysregulation, burnout, and exhaustion.
The good news is there are effective strategies to restore balance.
By actively engaging with our nervous systems, we can bring our brains, bodies, and hearts back into coherence, calm our systems, and return to a state of regulation.
In my practice, I use nervous system regulation strategies based on polyvagal theory, interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory, and a body-based approach to trauma.
These techniques include sensorimotor art practices, grounding exercises, deep breathing, attunement, and mindful movement to connect back to our center.
By learning to recognize and respond to our body's signals, we can enhance our resilience, improve emotional regulation, and foster a deeper sense of connection and safety within ourselves and with others.
The work I do incorporates teachings from leaders in their fields including Stephen Porges, Dan Siegel, Lisa Dion, Gordon Neufeld, and Bessel Van-Der Kolk.
Body Based
I believe that our body is our most powerful gateway to our inner world, a direct pathway to our deepest truths and insights.
As we learn to engage more fully with our body’s language (through subtle and not-so-subtle sensations), we unlock doorways to deep self-discovery while building a sense of safety and ease within.
Through the body we are able to release stored trauma, clear old patterns and emotional blocks, deepen our internal sense of safety, strengthen our connection to our intuition, and open new pathways for healing.
In a safe and supportive environment, it’s possible to embrace the full spectrum of our sensations - whether pleasurable, subdued, or painful.
Through gentle practices that encourage interoception (feeling inward), exteroception (feeling outward), movement, and expression, we can unlock our potential to truly thrive!
Whether you readily connect with your body’s sensations, or find it challenging or even scary to do so, we work at your own pace, using a trauma-informed approach to meet you where you are at.