Art Therapy Art

San Diego Art Therapy Professional Makes Art.

You may be wondering if art therapists make art.

Yes, we do!

Like so many people who are makers and creators, some of my earliest memories were of art. There are a lot of sensory memories, like making beads out of salt dough clay and trying out all the colors in the box of 64 crayons. I immersed myself in the process.

Art was a safe place to express myself as a child and a teen. It helped me through some difficult times, and I couldn’t imagine not doing something with art when I finished high school.

In college, I earned a B.A. in design. In classes, we created on drafting boards, but my first job sat me behind a Mac with a tiny monitor, using desktop publishing software. At the time, my design work felt mechanical and lifeless.

When my children were young, I connected more with the wonderful messiness of art. During those years, a friend told me about art therapy. Long story short, I returned to school and became a licensed therapist. Specifically, I wanted to become an Art Therapist to help adults and children in a way that had greatly helped me.

Therapy work is rewarding, but also sometimes difficult. Therapists witness the tremendous pain, suffering, and trauma of their clients. Creating art fixes my eyes on what is good, what is lovely, and what is excellent in the world.