FAQ’S

Secretly wondered questions and frequently given answers:

What’s the deal with creative arts therapy? Do I have to be an artist? Nope. But creativity is an often untapped and under-appreciated superpower accessible to everyone. We all use creativity to rest and reset, so why not channel this powerful impulse to shed light on habits, beliefs, patterns, and coping mechanisms?

Your creativity is whatever you say it is. If axe throwing is what you do when you need to release the pressure in your stomach and figure out the big questions, then this is how your creative mind expresses itself. So we use this information to call upon a visualization of this when you want to combat your anxiety. Or maybe a lack of hatchet enthusiasm is a flag that you are depressed and need support. And maybe you have special axes that you never use because you feel unworthy, because when you were a child, your brother, the favorite brother, got all the nice axes. The cool axes. So now, you are scarce with yourself. You keep the expensive axes in the closet and practice with steak knives because you don’t feel “good enough.” Seeing this pattern and consciously using the precious cleavers sends the message back to your inner child that you are valuable and deserving of the sharpest and most deadly of axes. The way you used your axes revealed something about your beliefs, and shifting your process, or the axes you used, changed the message, how it felt, and, maybe as a bonus, your aim.

Do we make art during sessions? Maybe. Although not necessarily. Some clients bring insights from writing or art they make independently to process in therapy, and I’ve had clients spontaneously want to journal because that feels comforting for them. Making art during sessions can provide an outlet for self-expression and exploration of emotions in a tangible form, and is logistically possible even virtually. As a creative arts therapist, I can also interpret the images themselves by observing choices and identifying patterns and themes that may reflect inner experiences and could be used to deepen our conversation. Articulating thoughts related to your creative work helps to foster self-awareness and promotes healing. It’s enlightening and quite frankly, cool, and for a quick peek at that mechanism, check out LCATpeanut and some bridge drawing analysis if you are interested. We could also come up with writing prompts or creative exercises for you to do on your own, or otherwise support your styles of creative expression. The sessions unfold the way we create them together.

Do you take insurance? I do not. Unfortunately, insurance companies have a serious lack of appreciation for creativity, I think it is because they are afraid of how powerful it is. Perhaps they should be.

How much does it cost? $125 per hour. I have clients who come once a week or prefer every other week, and I also have clients who choose half-hour sessions that I do for $50. Payment via Venmo. Please don’t let the cost prevent you from seeking therapy without reaching out. We are creative people, and I’m confident that we could have a discussion.

Where do sessions take place? Sessions are virtual, on the pajama-friendly Doxy.me platform.