ABOUT

BELIEF #1

You are capable of healing by witnessing the story you carry with you.

BELIEF #2

Your self expression is the key to your authentic creative brilliance.

BELIEF #3

Each moment is a new chance to meet your self with joy and curiosity.

I'M THERESA.

I loved art, color, drawing and writing when I was a kid, and I lost my way with it as I got older. First as a career path, and then even as something to enjoy. I let the outside world and my own inner critic push it away. I bought a lot of art supplies, but I didn't really believe I "knew" what to do with them.

I think that one of the few good things about being stuck at home more over the past few years was having a little more time to think about long lost life regrets, and also time to do something about them.

I had already made a big career move to become a therapist a few years ago, and I realized that my creative life was still missing. Re-connecting with it has gotten me through some really rough times these past few years, and I cannot wait to share the joy, color and healing I have found in expressive arts with you.

MY STORY

My early years and environment were fraught with many types of challenges, (for which I now have labels like "complex trauma" for), and I learned ways of coping. I relied on those coping skills all the way through a business career and mid-life, until I burned out, big time.

I learned to respect and appreciate my coping skills as what they are: survival skills to get through. But we can only be in survival mode for so long without it taking a toll on our mental, physical and emotional health. The underlying issues were still there, needing healing and attention.

I left the pressure cooker and rediscovered self-care and healing. One of my first and favorite passions has always been art and writing. I’ve reconnected with the joy of it and brought it back to how it feels to make marks, to play with color, and express what’s there right now inside, because this is where the healing is.

If this sounds like the kind of healing experience that you’re ready to step into, I hope you’ll join me!

"I'm so glad I found expressive arts when I did! I knew that something was missing but I wasn't sure what it was...I realized why my art had felt so empty. Somehow I was missing from it."

L.R., Santa Cruz, CA

"I really enjoyed connecting with the group and learning so much about art journaling. I've found a practice that helps me be able to play and let go of my inner critic, which is huge for me."