Artist. Eco-Art.

Art Therapist.

Supervisor.

Educator.

Life Learner.

Artist.

I view the world through a creative, curious, and contemplative lens, and as a dear friend recently reminded me … “art is everywhere … and you live it”.

• The Art Stories section captures some of the imagery, ideas, and themes I have explored over the years as a student, artist, and art therapist.

• The Blog section shares additional art stories from myself and others showcasing creative possibility, connection, and community engagement when art expression is nurtured, developed and allowed to flourish.

Art Therapist.

As a registered art therapist and registered psychotherapist, I provide art therapy services for long-term care settings in the Hamilton Area specializing in geriatrics, and aging young adults with complex needs.

I believe that art therapy as an accessible and inclusive therapeutic modality, can help to eliminate barriers of physical limitations. Art therapy provides an assisted means for individuals to create customized artwork, explore meaningful mark-making, have control and ownership, develop an alternate form of communication, and author unique and creative narratives.

Within this relational therapeutic modality the supportive presence of a facilitator, witness and guide are key for personal growth, healing and reparation.

Within the long-term care frame I also believe in community connection and have facilitated arts-based group initiatives within these settings to promote resident creativity, inclusion and accessibility, and bring visibility and awareness to the value of therapeutic art projects for these populations.

• Community Art Initiatives can be viewed at Creative Connections web gallery (coming soon!)

Supervisor.

In supervision, I support art therapists in their developing practice and provide clinical frames of reference while honouring their approach. Together we mindfully explore ideas, strengths, therapeutic challenges and breakthroughs, as integral to the process; working within relational-contexts to enhance their personal and professional journeys. I meet the supervisor requirements through the Canadian Art Therapy Association (RCAT), Ontario Art Therapy Association (OATR), and College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

Educator.

I feel so incredibly honoured to walk alongside elders in this later chapter of their life journey and to witness and share in their creative moments and unique and inspiring narratives. Out of gratitude for the many life-enriching experiences I have shared with residents in long-term care, I have developed an art therapy workshop for the Toronto Art Therapy Institute.

• Connections: Creatively Connecting to Life as We Age: The aim of this postgraduate experiential workshop/course: introduce students to the unique needs of the older population and the impactful role art therapy can play in their care. 

• Related to my passion for and practice in eco-art, I collaborated with Susan Beniston to co-create and facilitate a workshop for the Toronto Art Therapy Institute in 2023 and 2024: Eco-Art Therapy: The Nature of Well-Being. The related Zine Project Initiative can be viewed here.

Life Learner.

Ongoing professional development workshops in my field foster growth and awareness in such areas as gerontology, mindfulness, expressive arts therapy modalities, loss, trauma, dementia, palliative care, and long-term care protocols.

Participating in self-reflective and experiential art-making workshops with my art therapy peers enables me to relate directly to art materials from both a tactile interpretative mode to a direct emotional link, exploring the context and process from an individual-artist-therapist through to the client’s vantage point.

Thank you for taking the time to read my overview. I am passionate about creativity, learning and therapeutic art making. I am currently based in Hamilton (land acknowledgement) and my pronouns are she/her. If you are interested in accessing my full CV and resume please use the contact form to message me and I will email the CV link.