October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This Artwork is a collage I created in response to my work as an Art Therapist and Marriage & Family Therapist in San Diego North County. 

Anxiety is one of the main issues that people come to therapy to deal with.

Maybe you have never gone to therapy and the thought of talking about anxiety feels hard. Perhaps you have tried to “talk” to a therapist before about your anxiety. And it didn’t go as you hoped.

Some therapies rely much less on talking, Art Therapy is one of them.

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.

You can’t even put the past two years into words. You made it through the holidays. The disappointments, the stress, the grief. While you may or may not be looking forward to the New Year, you may be wondering if it’s time to address your anxiety. Perhaps you’ve been riding the waves up and down for a while.

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.

The thought of making friends with any kind of anxiety can feel a bit like making friends with the neighborhood bully when you were a kid. Anxiety says untrue things to you and can threaten all kinds of harm. If you struggle with anxiety and you suspect it may be impacting how you parent, you may be right.

Anxiety is a normal human experience. Perhaps that is why many people search daily for effective ways to cope with anxiety for themselves and their children.

Perhaps, you have been searching for ways to cope with your anxiety for years.

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.

This past year can be described in many ways, but one thing that stands out is the undeniable losses. Many different types of losses. Loss of normalcy, loss of physical contact, loss of income and jobs, loss of large, gathered celebrations for weddings, anniversaries, and graduations. The loss of hopes and dreams, and the loss of many lives.

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.