art therapy

I offer support and understanding to children and adults for a variety of issues. No art experience is required! I will guide you through fun and relaxing art making activities from drawing and painting to collage. We will work at your pace and let your inspiration guide the artmaking and conversation. Whether you are feeling stressed, burnt out, seeking inspiration, or just need someone to talk to, Art Therapy provides a non-judgmental space to process life, get creative, and enjoy spontaneous art making.  

• Support and advocacy
• Relaxation
• Self-reflection
• Practice self-expression
• Catharsis
• Cultivate a creative ritual
• Build a sense of self
• Learn art techniques
• Increase focus and attention
• Build a therapeutic alliance

Growing up is not easy and children face a multitude of challenges while finding their place in the world. Art Therapy is an open space for creativity; free of competition, expectations, judgement, and the need to "fit in".  Along with fun art activities and projects we work on confidence, self-compassion, family, respect, behavior, or just talk. In children's art therapy we learn about art and navigating life. 

Relax and unplug from life for a while. In individual and group sessions we take time to be in the moment and tap into our creative minds. Adults are our societies caretakers. We take care of our children, parents, and work, but do not always leave time for ourselves. Watching TV and scrolling on our phones is one way to relax, but distracts us from processing our thoughts and feelings. A moment of restful art making will help you refocus and put things into perspective. 

Art has been part of my life since childhood. I have fond memories of after school crafts with my grandmother, painting classes, photography class, and sculpting. In high school art became an integral part of my identity, so I continued to pursue it in post-secondary education, studying visual arts at Langara College from 2008 - 2010. After spending the next two years working at various jobs to pay the bills, I enrolled at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where I received my BFA in 2015. 

During my time at Kwantlen I took a course in Developmental Psychology out of interest. Around the same time I attended a presentation about Art Therapy, which bridged the gap between my passion for art and my fascination with psychology. It did not take me long to realize that this would be my career path. Art has always been therapy for me and sharing that skill with others is the most fulfilling work I can imagine. 

I went on to graduate from Vancouver Art Therapy institute in 2017. For the last few years I have been working with children and families, practicing art therapy privately and in public schools.