Making Meaning Through Creative Expression
How exactly does creativity transform therapy? Creativity takes courage, and using art in therapy is one way to experiment and practice different ways of being—in a space that is safe. With or without art, I am always honored to walk with clients as they express their authentic selves to make life meaningful.
I enjoy working with older teenagers and adults, and one of the methods I use to help clients express their inner experience—if they are willing—is through artmaking. Using tangible, tactile materials can be a concrete way to make visible your experiences and feelings that seem invisible. When you can create something and see it in front of you, you can get a little distance and perspective to self-reflect. Clients do not to be "artists" to benefit from art therapy, and for those averse to art, I am also trained in talk therapy in the ways listed below.
As humans, I believe we make sense—even if, initially, it doesn't appear this way. I hope we can understand how your current thoughts and behaviors, which once helped you live or survive in your relationships/environment, are now getting in the way of the meaningful life you want. Together, we’ll experiment with ways of thinking and behaving that are more effective in pursuing that life.
I gravitate toward the theories of depth and existential psychology as a way of understanding and creating meaning in our lives. I have am in the process of completing level three of the Neuro-Affective Relational Model (NARM) training, which is an advanced therapeutic model that addresses complex, developmental, and relational trauma. I also integrate more practical information from a 60-hour training on responding to sexual assault and domestic violence.
One of my favorite ways to understand why we engage in self-destructive behaviors is through the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS), which views the individual human being like a family system, with parts that take on certain roles—all with the intention of protecting our younger, sensitive parts that have been wounded. In addition, I have worked in treatment facilities and have attended several continuing education workshops where Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) was utilized, and have found it to contain a helpful philosophy for individuals struggling with eating or self-harm behaviors.
-Kahlil Gibran
Creativity Transforms Therapy
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