The most important part of any therapy is the relationship between you and your therapist. There are lots of modalities and tools available to help you, but the sense of safety, security and connection with your therapist is the most important element towards making lasting change. That being said, below you can learn a bit about how I work using art therapy and psychotherapy.
Art Therapy
Art Therapy Workspace in my Flatiron Office
Perhaps you have been in traditional talk therapy and felt you have reached a plateau. Or maybe you feel stuck and want to try an alternative way to process things. Some experiences are beyond words and you need a place to express those sensations and feelings.
Art therapy provides a way to use the creative process to express yourself, gain insight and awareness and to build coping skills. The process of making art can make you feel more relaxed and less anxious and can reduce stress on your nervous system. The piece of art that you create might offer insight and awareness that wasn’t in your conscious mind.
Using symbols and metaphor, art therapy can be a less confrontational way to work through difficult issues. It can also be fun! Your artwork provides a way to express visually, “This is who I am. This is what I feel. This is what I think.”
In a session, I will offer you a variety of materials such as acrylic paint, watercolors, colored pencils, markers, oil pastels, chalk pastels, or collage materials. Sometimes I may suggest a direction, but in my experience, what people create in the moment is what they need to.
We might talk while you make art, or you might want to focus solely on your art piece. I try to create an atmosphere where you feel free to experiment and play. Then together, we’ll look at how what you create might connect to what’s happening in your life. I’m there to help you discover your meaning in the images that you create.
Art therapy isn’t about being a great artist or achieving a perfect technique. It’s about letting yourself be free to explore, grow and expand your comfort zone and being open to the process of getting to know yourself in a different way. If you are dealing with anxiety, wanting to get to the roots of relationship struggles or addiction, art therapy can provide a new way to discover yourself.
Let’s Talk About It
My Flatiron Psychotherapy Office
Our early experiences create instinctual patterns for relating and being in the world. We often develop coping skills that may have been effective at one time in our lives, but as we grow, and circumstances change, these coping mechanisms no longer serve us. The same strategy that kept you feeling safe as a child may interfere with you having the life you want as an adult. I will help you gain awareness of instinctual patterns and work with you to shift and relax those patterns. You’ll be able to connect and communicate with greater freedom and authenticity.
Through paying attention to the mind-body connection we can work together to help you more fully connected to your body experience and the beliefs and thoughts that go with it. By mindfully paying attention to feelings and sensations in the body, you can begin to integrate change in a more full way, where it is felt and experienced, not just known.
I approach our work together with curiosity, empathy and humor.
Art Therapy and Psychotherapy services are currently offered virtually to folks based in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
