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Offering face-to-face sessions in New York City and Poughkeepsie and virtual sessions across NY
creative arts therapy
Serving adults, teens, and children throughout New York
"What is Creative Arts Therapy?"
You're probably here because you've experienced healing or witnessed something powerful when someone told the truth through art. You may recognize that creativity - no matter how great or small - is a priceless resource that can help change lives. So a part of you figures that maybe with the right guide, a creative kind of therapy could be the catalyst to changing your life deeply.
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Maybe you've got an active imagination. Maybe you're a visual learner. Maybe you taste colors or see music. Maybe you're always doodling. Maybe you write poetry in secret. Maybe you are inspired by storytelling. Or maybe you're just tired of sitting still! If this sounds like you, you're my kind of artist and I am here for you!
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For thousands of years, humans have used the arts as therapeutic remedies. Obviously enough, artistic expression can be effective at temporarily alleviating discomfort. For some, that is their goal. But the arts have potential for more than that and modern neuroscience proves it! For example, trauma is usually not recorded cognitively or verbally. It's stored in the body and other areas of the brain. This is why merely talking about the events or emotions does not activate the healing potential in various parts of the brain and can even worsen symptoms. A creative process on the other hand (if guided by a trained creative arts therapist), can be an effective method of not just unpacking, but reprocessing the experiences that bring us to therapy without overwhelm or disconnection.
My approach to creative art therapy combines these benefits and intentionally focuses on simple forms of creativity that process and reprocess in mind and body, maintaining a balance between a) emotional and cognitive processing b) verbal and nonverbal expression and c) conscious and unconscious themes. These methods are effective with reprocessing trauma, building self-esteem, processing emotions, and supporting constructive identity exploration.
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Combining the magic of the imagination...
As a creative thinker, you know that imagination is a priceless resource. It helps you relate to fictional characters and discover yourself in a story. It allows you to envision ways of improving life. And it may have helped you escape what was unbearable once upon a time.
But now your imagination feels stuck or out of control, and you're not having fun anymore. Or maybe your safe place is still in your imagination and you'd like to bring more of that into your life in the real world.
I will help you find a sense of play again and explore the narratives that inspire hope and encourage empathy in you. Using imagery and metaphors, I will help you bring your dreams to life, gain new perspectives, and achieve what you didn't think was possible.
...and the wisdom of the body...
Your body is the messenger. Whether you're doing great or not, your body is the first to tell you.
But sometimes we don't understand the message. And we might forget, ignore, or blame the messenger. That leads to frustration, feeling stuck in your own head, and not being able to move on.
In our sessions, I will help you combine mindful awareness with somatic awareness. I combine freeing art exercises and exploration of roles with Internal Family Systems to help you shift out of 'stuck' and take action. I will help your desires, your thoughts, and your impulses 'click' into place so that you can reach your goals with greater ease.
...to solve the mysteries of the soul.
Challenging periods require us to understand ourselves deeply. The arts gift us with an avenue to discover ourselves and allow things to resonate with us in the deepest ways .
By combining a few written words and some quick sketches in a psychoanalytic and existential framework, I can help you recognize the themes and patterns that have had a quiet but persistent influence on your life. You will encounter yourself in profound new ways and develop greater appreciation for your humanity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to be a "good" artist to try creative arts therapy?
A: You're already brilliant and I can't wait to prove it to you! Here, art is only good if it's honest.
One of my greatest joys is seeing what happens when I give someone the space for raw creativity without expectations or pretense. I often find that creative thinkers who aren't "skilled" or "trained" are able to get the most out of these practices.
Q: I'm interested but I'm not sure I'm ready to do art. Are we a bad fit?
A: We can still be a great fit! I am always thinking outside of the box and finding creative strategies to help clients achieve their breakthroughs at their level of comfort.
Q: Are there times when we can talk without doing art?
A: Of course! I use the creative arts therapy methods as specialized interventions. Most days we can still process using traditional methods and other modalities with the added benefit of an aesthetic perspective.
Q: What ages is this appropriate for?
A: I combine these methods with play therapy for children as young as 8 years old and there is no maximum age limit.
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