Expressive Arts Therapists in East Side, Vancouver, BC

Hello. I work with individuals and groups using Expressive Arts Therapy methods and philosophy. It is an arts-based approach that recognizes our personal inherent wisdom. In the Expressive Arts we use creative mediums such as painting, poetry, music, dance, theatre, movement, photography, (and more!) as a means to explore the psyche. Trusting the process of art making and play helps us to highlight our personal resources and understand ourselves in a deeper, more meaningful way. When we work intuitively and playfully we connect with who we are, how we operate, and how we can help perpetuate a nurturing life for ourselves.

Reaching out for the support of counsellor or therapist is a courageous step towards identifying and exploring new ways of engaging with life. I offer an integrative approach that provides a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental space for you to embark on this journey. My primary method is expressive arts therapy which utilizes the imagination and creative expression to increase self awareness, promote growth and facilitate healing. I also draw on other theories, including: Somatic Experiencing, internal family systems, and mindfulness based practices

Are you struggling with high stress, anxiety, depression, substance use, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, or trauma and PTSD? Would you like to ease your emotional pain by gaining tools to self-regulate and bringing healing to your psychological wounds? Would you like to reduce conflicts within and without by listening to and understanding your multiple needs? Would you like to shed the protective shell that no longer serves you and re-imagine who you are based on your core values and deeper desire?

Seeking support on your journey to change, healing or self expansion? The Expressive Arts & I will put creativity at the heart of your therapeutic experience. I facilitate a safe container to enter into the imaginal: the spacious realm of images, story, sculpture, sound, metaphor, colour and free-play (to name a few). In art-making you can move away from everyday expectations & habitual responses into a new state of living your possibility & freedom. This felt sense of change - body, mind, soul - can profoundly impact your ability to reimagine present difficulties, learn new coping skills, ignite joy and expand your play range.

As a counsellor I collaborate with every client to understand the power of their story and for my clients to feel heard and honoured. I view counselling as a place for individuals to explore talk therapy alongside expressive arts to create space for understanding parts of themselves that at times can be hard to put words to. My approach in the counselling space is holistic, strengths-based, creative, and highly collaborative.

Are you a self-identified woman who is on a healing path? Did you grow up in a single parent family? Are you feeling confused, anxious, or unsure of who you are? Are you trying to build your confidence, your self-worth, and self-esteem? Do you want to better understand yourself in order to make deep connections with others? I hope to help you (re)connect with your inner light, that life force, that energy to bring you into the fullness of yourself.

Come as you are. I am devoted to creating a safe and supportive atmosphere. Whether you come with overwhelming anxiety, depression, unworthiness, a history of abuse, trauma, disordered eating or want to work on improving unhealthy thought patterns - all is welcome. Expressive Arts Therapy is a non-invasive nourishment focused approach to therapy that uses direct experience through art making to tap into the senses in order to explore thoughts, patterns, and belief systems. No prior technical skill is necessary. I understand my immense responsibility not only as a space-holder but also as a witness to your vulnerability.

Life is complicated and we are thrown many curveballs along the way. How can we stay grounded and live the life we desire in the midst of challenges? Reaching out for therapy is vulnerable and a sign that you want something more in your life. Do You want a life filled with ease and joy. In the midst of challenges, how can we stay present and grounded. It’s not easy. Anxiety, depression, overwhelm, disconnection, isolation are the norm these days. Often there are things from our past that are holding us back from living the life we desire. We all have big and small traumas that get stuck in our bodies and brains. EMDR can help.

I work collaboratively, inter-sectionally and conscious of my clients lived experience and world view. I believe learning to become an authentic person is the ongoing journey we all undergo and with counselling, it can be a bit easier. I believe strongly in meeting an individual where they are presently and working alongside their own desires for change and growth. However, counselling is a safe space to work through these difficult parts so that you are able to take better control over your own life and live your life authentically.

Hi, my name is Laura. I am someone that believes that we are not meant to do life alone. In my work I am privileged to come alongside clients in their struggle. I am passionate about social justice, utilizing an anti oppressive framework, and building safe spaces that foster connection and belonging. I enjoy helping clients find their voice, develop their sense of self, connect to the body, and move through emotions. Together we can build a strong therapeutic relationship, where you can have the space to take the next best step towards healing and wellness.

I have twenty seven years experience providing psychotherapy for individuals, couples and groups affected by trauma/PTSD, anxiety, depression, other mood disorders, addictions, relationship difficulties, and personality style issues. I use a multimodal approach according to clients' needs, goals and preferences. The therapeutic modalities I practice include EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Therapeutic Enactment, expressive Arts, Narrative Therapy, Adlerian Psychology, CBT and DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Therapy, Person Centered Therapy, Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Energy Psychology.

Welcome to Golem Expressive Arts Therapy! Have you been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, ADHD, or burnout? Have you or your child tried talk therapy without much success? Or would you like to revive your creativity after years of corporate work? I use a trauma-informed lens to help rediscover the compassionate, resilient, parts of you hidden beneath layers of suffering. My unique approach combines Expressive Arts Therapy (ExAT), clay therapy, IFS-informed therapy, somatic interventions, and mindfulness. In my practice, I strive to create an open and non-judgmental connection, providing you with a safe space to heal and grow.

With a blend of social work support and expressive arts tools, I am here to work with anyone willing to express themselves and solve problems through a creative means. No artistic skills are necessary, just a willingness to tackle struggles with an outside-of-the-box approach. If you're dealing with stress, life transitions, or often seeking ways that only temporarily release tension, together we can work towards strengthening your authentic voice. Heart Times will collaborate with you to get to a place where you are not constantly feeling lost, living in survival mode.

Empathy, compassion, trust, and safety guides the person-centered space that will honour your life experiences and stories. I’ll encourage you to be the guiding force behind your change and healing. We will tap into your inner strength as you are the expert in your own life. You will receive a safe space to explore your concerns related to loss, grief, anxiety, depression that maybe contributing to both complex and intergenerational trauma. Together, we will create goals that are cantered around your aspirations and desired outcome.

Many things in our lives are on a continuum, including the intensity of the problem, resilience, resourcefulness, and healing. Sometimes we need more guidance and help than other times, and sometimes we feel that we can manage on our own. The striving to heal or cope at our best may be subtle or more apparent in our lives, which helps to realize that change is needed, contemplate it, and act. My approach to psychotherapy is integrative, eclectic, and trauma-informed.

Are seeking for a deeper connection with yourself and others? Do you feel lost in the busyness of today's fast paced world? Are you looking to slow down? To find out what your soul is craving for? Connection is healing. The capacity to share without judgement is nourishing to the heart. My approach to therapy is integrative; I use a combination of talk and expressive arts - this includes visual arts, creative writing, movement - or finding new ways of expression that might seem appropriate for you.

Are you different? So am I. I specialize in working with people who break the mold. This includes neuro-diverse adults (ADHD, Autistic, C-PTSD), chronically ill, 2SLGBTQ, and racialized people. Focusing on resiliency and emotional intelligence, I use evidence-based practices and creative interventions to use the wounds of the past as seeds for growth. Adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and relationship fractures disrupt our feelings of safety and trust. In order to thrive, we need to heal.

As your counselor, I create a calm and compassionate space for you to tell your story. I believe that a strong therapeutic alliance is paramount in creating authentic change. My clients often come in stating that they feel stuck no matter how hard they try to change. Often times they feel tired of the same setbacks, don't know how to move forward or that their past trauma continually effects their present day functioning. I collaborate with you to guide you through your healing journey where you can heal from the past and move forward to live presently with self-compassion and self worth.

I support folks to reclaim, explore, and practice coming back to our bodies, feeling feelings, expanding relational possibilities, and embodying permission and more choices toward dignity, aliveness, connection, tenderness, ease, and pleasure. I approach therapeutic work from healing-centred, intersectional feminist, harm reduction, and decolonial frameworks and practices, and draw from interpersonal neurobiology, parts work, politicized somatics, and lineages of energetic medicine.