My Approach

Art Therapy with a Client-Centered approach.

Whether I am practicing Art Therapy, traditional talk therapy, or drawing from other therapeutic modalities, my approach is grounded in meeting each client where they are—with empathy, unconditional positive regard, and attunement. My goal is to create a secure and supportive therapeutic environment where clients can safely express, explore, and build insight toward growth and healing.

Client-Centered Therapy, pioneered by Carl Rogers, is an evidence-based therapeutic model that emphasizes the healing power of an authentic, non-judgmental relationship between client and therapist. Research has shown that key elements of this model—such as genuineness, empathy, and unconditional positive regard—are strongly associated with positive therapeutic outcomes across many diagnoses and treatment populations. Building on this foundation, contemporary research has increasingly highlighted how these same principles translate effectively into creative modalities, including Client-Centered Art Therapy.

A Client-Centered Art Therapy approach offers clients freedom and autonomy in the therapeutic process. Instead of directing or interpreting the artwork for the client, the therapist supports the client in discovering their own insights, emotions, and meanings at a pace that feels safe. This allows individuals to connect with their internal world in ways that may be less accessible through verbal processing alone. Art making can engage multiple areas of the brain, support emotional regulation, improve communication of difficult experiences, and foster a sense of agency and empowerment.

By combining the core conditions of Client-Centered Therapy with the creative and symbolic flexibility of art, this approach can be deeply reparative for individuals experiencing a wide range of mental health challenges—including trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem issues, and difficulties with verbal expression. The absence of judgment, coupled with genuine acceptance and curiosity, helps clients feel seen, respected, and capable of directing their own healing process. In this space, the therapeutic relationship and the art process work together, allowing meaningful growth to unfold from within.