What is Art Therapy?

As defined by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA),

“Art Therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active artmaking, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

Art Therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, effectively supports personal and relational treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art Therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensory-motor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.”

What should I expect in a session?

Kelsey structures art therapy sessions based on your needs. She typically works from a client-based approach, inspired and motivated by feminist therapy.

A typical session may include art therapy directives, free artmaking, reflections, and visualizations. We often start by checking in with any updates or immediate thoughts you may be having, followed by the bulk of our session where we may walk through art therapy directives, free artmaking, reflections, visualizations, or simply chat. When our session is coming to a close, we will do a brief check out, gauging how you are feeling and address possible “homework” for outside of the session. While traditional art materials are often explored, non-traditional materials such as household found objects and natural resources may also be used.

What is Feminist Therapy?

Feminist Psychotherapy is an integrative approach that began in the late 1960s as women helping women, focusing on gender challenges and stressors faced due to bias, stereotyping, oppression, and discrimination. The theory has since evolved to include the recognition of interlocking oppression across additional minorities such as class, disability, race, ethnicity, and sexuality. While Feminist Psychotherapy is an integrative approach, taking pieces of other theories, there are a few key concepts that set apart this novel approach from its predecessors.

Firstly, though it is unclear as to whether it is used in today’s approach in feminist therapy, it is known that self-disclosure was a significant part of the early days of Feminist Psychotherapy. A second distinctive aspect of Feminist Psychotherapy is the approach of reframing clients’ difficulties in the context of societal views, involving the concept that ‘the personal is political’. The third approach that is essential to touch on is methods of empowerment used in Feminist Psychotherapy. Techniques that feminist therapists use to give space for empowerment in a therapeutic setting include, but are not limited to, empathy, advocacy, and bibliotherapy.

What is behind the name “Althea”?

The name "Althea" was originally inspired by the plant commonly known as the Rose of Sharon (also known as Hibiscus Syriacus, Rose Mallow, or Shrub Althea).

The national flower of South Korea first symbolized eternity and abundance. When the shrub was later grown in the gardens of Europe, it became a symbol of beauty and love, hope and rejuvenation. It is all of these that influenced the name of this practice, Althea, as the therapeutic arts are beautiful, promote hope and rejuvenation, require love and attentiveness, and have impacts that can last an eternity.

Do you accept insurance?

While I do not offer direct billing at this time, I am able to provide receipts for clients located in Ontario to submit to their insurance companies. It is recommended to verify with your insurance provider if psychotherapy services are covered in your plan.

Do you offer a sliding scale?

One of the main barriers to accessing psychotherapy at this time is finances. If the reason you are reconsidering attending therapy is due to unaffordability without insurance, please reach out, and we can chat about adjustments that can be made for your financial situation.