Grief can feel like a brokenness.

It’s a brokenness unique to you, even though others have thoughts on how to fix you.

From a holistic perspective on health, there are emotional, financial, mental, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of your being.

As an Art Therapist in San Diego, I sometimes get asked if Art Therapy is the same as attending art classes. There are several differences, but the main distinction is when you meet with an Art Therapist, you are meeting with a licensed mental health professional. When you attend an art class, you are going to meet with a teacher. The teacher, who may hold a degree in art or education, typically is not a psychotherapist or counselor.

As a credentialed San Diego Art Therapy professional, I know that for many busy adults, making time for therapy is challenging. Since the explosion of online therapy and telehealth, most therapists provide therapy sessions through a secure video platform. Art Therapy is no different.

However, in my experience, there are pros and cons to meeting for online Art Therapy sessions versus attending in person.

Through your search, you may have found many talk therapists who state on their websites or professional profiles that they provide art therapy. 

You may have also found some interesting groups in the community facilitated by caring artists with a heart to help others.  Is what they are providing truly art therapy?

At its core, creativity is about looking at things differently. Taking two unrelated things and making connections. It's “out-of-the-box” thinking. In this blog, I give my take on five of my favorite books that help with aspects of creativity.

This blog was originally written while the world was amid the pandemic. For several years, the one thing that stood out was the undeniable losses people were experiencing. 

Many people are still trying to recover from those years. You may be one of them. You’re not alone.

This Artwork is a collage I created in response to my work as a Marriage & Family Therapist providing Art Therapy in San Diego North County. 

I was happy to be quoted in the Good Trade article “Making Art Is My Playful Meditation Alternative." The article is about using process-based art as a mindfulness tool.

Art therapy is a type of mental health therapy that goes beyond words. It enables a client, working with a trained Art Therapist, to address issues and experiences in ways that can feel safer and more empowering.

Creative expression can also be used to help integrate traumatic experiences. It's an active, engaging therapy that incorporates creativity and image-making to move you toward healing.

While not everyone, has experienced the pandemic in the same way, we’ve all experienced unwelcome changes and some loss. In my experience, Art Therapy provides a process for people, young and old, to begin making meaning.

As a therapist in San Marcos, CA, I know that the holidays may feel overwhelming. You’re searching for ways to feel calmer during this season in the midst of all that is going on in your life and the life of those around you.

The therapist you choose, whether in traditional talk therapy or in art therapy, is a big factor in what therapy sessions will be like. That is because the basis for any mental health treatment begins with a therapeutic relationship. Additionally, a therapist’s training, experiences, and theoretical orientation will also impact what a session is like.

Many therapists use more expressive methods in therapy, including Art Therapists. People of all ages benefit greatly from these methods. For children, with less developed cognitive abilities, expressive therapies can compensate for any limitations of “talk therapy”. For anyone, especially parents who are seeking to understand more about Art Therapy I wanted to share three common misconceptions.