Steph is now accepting new clients of all ages for sessions online and in person in Kingston, Ontario!
“In many shamanic societies, if you came to a medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions: “When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop being comforted by the sweet territory of silence?”
Dear tender-hearted human,
Your pain has something important to say: More beauty and magic are possible. We were made to create, to express our fully alive selves, and to hold each other in loving community.
Come! Let’s reawaken our creative selves.
Let’s re-enchant this life!
In the body is where it all begins…
Pain, possibility, power. Let’s return to all of your senses, to your tender heart, to your roots and wings, and rediscover wonder in the little things…
“You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”
In your every cell, there is wisdom.
You used to cry and yell and shake and create. There was no such thing as good or bad art, good feelings or bad feelings. Before life taught you to hold it all in and prioritize productivity over pleasure, expression flowed freely through your wise body. You could cry one moment and laugh the next. Pain didn’t last so long, as you existed in harmony with yourself.
This life, it’s
a forever process of coming back home.
To a YOU in harmony with yourself, a YOU fully alive in all of your senses, a YOU bringing your full expression to the world and sowing seeds of beauty wherever you dare to trust your inner voice.
You’re not meant to do it alone.
None of us are.
“YOU DO NOT CARRY THIS ALL ALONE
NO, YOU DO NOT CARRY THIS ALL ALONE
THIS IS WAY TOO BIG
FOR YOU TO CARRY THIS ON YOUR OWN
SO, YOU DO NOT CARRY THIS ALL ALONE”
It would be an honour and joy to accompany you on your journey. Read on to learn more about Expressive Arts Therapy and my approach. If your gut says we could be a could fit, please reach out!
What is Expressive Arts Therapy?
Expressive Arts (EXA) Therapy is an intentionally intermodal form of therapy that makes use of every form of expression you can imagine to support you in expanding your range of play and reconnecting with your inner resources. Visual arts, creative writing, drama, music, voice and movement are all used to support your personal inquiry, re-enchantment and growth. Entering the creative process requires meeting the unknown. As you meet the unknown and all the barriers that stand in the way of your expression, with your Expressive Arts Therapist (EXAT) as your companion and guide, you will build and uncover resources that will serve you in every facet of your life. Accessing your full creativity ultimately means accessing your full aliveness.
By moving through the creative process with your Expressive Arts Therapist, you can expect to:
deepen your connection with your body, senses and creative impulses;
experience more ease and confidence in accessing your creativity and hearing your inner voice;
increase your tolerance and capacity for the unknown;
expand your range of expression and play;
discover beauty and power in the imperfect;
cultivate acceptance and love toward all your messy human parts
gain confidence in your unique strengths, gifts and resources;
gather tools and insight for overcoming obstacles in your daily life and meeting yourself with more compassion;
rediscover magic in the everyday.
Who is EXA Therapy for?
Expressive Arts Therapy can support a diversity of humans for many reasons, but it’s not for everyone! If any of these statements resonate, Expressive Arts Therapy might be a good fit for you:
I used to make things, sing, dance, and express myself in a lot of creative ways as a kid, but I don’t anymore. I want to reawaken my creative self.
I identify as a sensitive person. Growing up, I was often told that I was too sensitive. I am healing from that pain and ready to claim my sensitivity as a gift.
I identify as a visual person. I make sense of life and my place in it using imagery and metaphors. I want to make more space to connect to the power of imagery.
My life is out of balance. I work too hard - I don’t care for myself, play or create as much as I want to. I’m ready to start listening to my body better. I would benefit from an embodied therapy practice that encourages me to slow down and connect with my body, impulses and intuition.
I had so much hope for my life, but it’s nowhere near as joy- and magic-filled as I expected. I feel stuck in the humdrum, yearning for more connection and magic. I am starting to recognize I need help to find my way forward from here.
In social settings, I am usually the quiet one, the one who listens. Taking up space with my voice and ideas leaves me with a vulnerability hangover. I want to express more of myself out in the world, with my family, in my workplace, in my community, but it’s terrifying! I am afraid of being misunderstood, judged and rejected. I am ready to bravely start taking up more space.
I am tired of being nice. I tiptoe around others to keep the peace, and my wellness is suffering as a result. I can feel the rage of not honouring myself rising! I want to learn to express myself in effective and therapeutic ways.
Anxiety is a heavy weight I carry. Sometimes I worry I will never be myself again. I would love someone to hold my hand as I honour all my fears and find my way back to my OKness.
I am stuffing down grief and anger. I know it’s not good for me, but I don’t know what else to do. No one ever showed me how to grieve or what to do with all of this energy.
I believe in or am curious about the existence of something greater than myself. I want my therapy experience to leave room for mystery.
I yearn for more ritual and ceremony in my life! I would love for my therapy experience to feel sacred.
Who is Steph?
Hi there! I’m Steph and I’m really glad you’re here. Having grown up with anxiety, I know firsthand how important it is to feel welcomed and accepted in all your beautiful complexity. My goal is to create a space where every part of you is seen and honoured.
I use the arts to help my clients meet themselves with compassion and lovingly, courageously grow beyond old limiting stories and patterns. While I love to dabble in all forms of creativity, my specialties are in the realms of vocal exploration, dramatic/role play and embodied movement. I am passionate about supporting people to find full expression in their voices and rediscover power and joy in their innate creativity.
My approach is intuitive and relational. In my sessions with clients, we openly discuss how we impact one another. I believe that truth, while scary at first, becomes freeing once it’s out in the open. I’m fascinated by the processes of rupture and repair and am committed to helping you trust in your ability to work through these moments and come out stronger on the other side. You may have had terrible relational experiences in the past—the cool thing about therapy is that when something gets tough (and it might), I won't go anywhere. I'm committed to coming back until the relationship is repaired. I'm excited about creating a safe container where you can experience rupture and repair, helping you maintain beautiful, meaningful relationships in your life.
In my own artistic/therapeutic practice, I am learning to move emotions through my body with the help of movement and dance, especially in mindful movement practices like 5Rhythms. I am rediscovering the joy of singing for myself, making up songs, and recording them on my handy-dandy looper. I am also on a journey to better understand my anger. Gah! It isn’t easy!
I like to believe in magic and the existence of things beyond my human comprehension. I am curious about connecting to something I call “spirit” and seek guidance outside of myself in everyday life. If this is something that interests you, we can make room for spirit in our sessions. And if not, that’s cool too! I am very happy to stay in the realm of humans with you.
Though I dislike how society places so much value on qualifications (as if our lived experience isn't enough), rest assured, I have taken my training seriously. After completing my Honours Bachelor of Arts & Science at McMaster University, I trained as a Community Song Leader, then completed a three-year training in Expressive Arts Therapy with the CREATE Institute in Toronto. Almost half of my training was online due to the pandemic, which means I can proudly say I offer an incredible online experience. There are benefits to both in-person and online therapy sessions, and honestly, I don't have a preference between the two.
I blend my lived experiences as a full-feeling human and Community Song Leader with my formal therapy training to create an expansive experience for my clients. I have hundreds of mantra-like songs in my pockets and I pull them out whenever the moment calls for them. I often leave sessions with clients feeling surprised and delighted by where we travelled together. I feel more grounded and connected to magic, which gives me hope that my clients are receiving these benefits too.
Who has Steph worked with?
While this write-up is geared toward adults, I work with humans of all ages. The bulk of my experience has been acquired working with children (ages 5-12) and adults. I am passionate about helping adults reclaim their sensitivity and fullness of their expression, and I am equally passionate about helping kids preserve their sensitivity and fullness of expression as they move through this harsh world.
I have experience working with:
Children of divorced parents and single parents;
Children experiencing big emotions;
Children experiencing bullying at school;
Children who experienced or witnessed hurting (violence) at home;
Adults looking to express themselves more freely in their lives;
Artists looking to break free of their classical training;
Artists looking to reconnect with their art form;
Women, non-binary, gender diverse and Two-Spirit people living with anxiety.
How do sessions unfold?
A typical EXA Therapy session flows like this:
We check in. You share updates from your life and tell me if there is anything you want to focus on. We discuss your intention for the session and how you want to feel by the end of it.
We find our way into some art-making. We start in one art modality, then usually transfer to one or two other art modalities, each one bringing a special something-something.
We dicuss the images, movement, sound and/or written words that emerged. We discuss the process of making the art, what surprised you, what challenged you, how you overcame obstacles, what resources you uncovered. EXATs call this the Aesthetic Reflection.
We bring the conversation back to your life and discuss takeaways from the session. We harvest resources, inspirations, lessons that can support you outside of your therapy sessions. This is called the Harvesting.
We schedule our next session and say bye for now.
Taking a step back to look at the growth that happens over the course of multiple sessions, what I see is a four-step, non-linear process:
Step 1: Tell Your Story
We begin by mapping where you have been, where you are, and where you want to go. This involves understanding the landscape of your life, your story, the challenges you face, and the resources you rely on. We explore your hopes and dreams for the future and get curious about how we might journey from your current state to your desired goals.
Step 2: Who is in the Room?
Drawing on principles from Psychodrama and Internal Family Systems, we will spend time getting to know the different parts of you—your various stories, patterns, and beliefs. We will bring acceptance and understanding to all these parts, thank them for the role they have played in keeping you safe, and, if they are no longer serving you, lovingly let them know it’s time for them to get out of the driver’s seat.
Step 3: Gently Meet and Move Past Your Edges
Inspired by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), after lovingly accepting all parts of you, we will connect with what’s important to you and use the arts to help you expand in meaningful directions, addressing discomfort and resistance as they arise.
Step 4: Bravely Express Your Whole Self
Once we have built a foundation of trust in your creative abilities and you’re feeling more comfortable in our relational space, we will move our attention to what you are here to express in this life. You are free in your body, breath, voice and dreams. Let’s create something freakin’ amazing that you only you can give to this world!
Is artistic “skill” required?
Nope! One of my teachers once said that our goal as artists is to shape a piece of art until it MOVES us. Anyone, no matter their skill, can create art that moves them. I am here to help you get there. I will provide prompts and just enough structure for you to find freedom. Sometimes, especially in the beginning of our time together, you may find that you are NOT moved by your art, or that you struggle to create anything or see the point in any of it. This is fertile ground! The attitudes we bring toward our art are usually tightly woven with the attitudes we bring toward ourselves and our lives. If we can meet these attitudes with curiosity, compassion and a healthy dose of defiance in the safe container that Expressive Arts Therapy provides, well, maybe this silly little art practice might just end up changing how you approach your whole life. No big deal. 😉
What does it cost?
After much consideration, I have settled on a flat rate in line with what other Qualifying RP’s are charging. If you’re feeling really drawn to work with me and this rate doesn’t work for you, let’s talk! I may have sliding scale spots available.
60 Minutes Online
$120
60 Minutes in Kingston
$120 + Room Rental Fee
90 Minutes Online
$150
90 Minutes in Kingston
$150 + Room Rental Fee
Typically, the room rental will be an additional $15-25 dollars. This will be determined based on the room we rent. All of this will be made clear before sessions begin so you know what you’re agreeing to. I have two spaces I am considering for in-person sessions: the Music Room at Chalmers United Church and a meeting room at 99 York St.
What are the next steps?
Step 1:
You book a free 30-minute Curiosity Call to explore if we are indeed a good fit.
Step 2:
I send you a consent agreement. You look it over, ask any questions and decide if you want to book a 90-minute Intake Session.
Step 3:
We meet for the 90-minute Intake Session. We review the consent agreement together and sign it if we haven’t already. I gather some information about you, and you ask me all of your questions. With any remaining time, we will create some art together.
Step 4:
We meet weekly or biweekly until you decide our time together is complete.
If I haven’t scared you away yet, it is time to…
Have other questions?
p.s. Who made all the art on this page? Oddly enough, AI generated all the images you see above. I gave the AI some prompts, and the AI delivered ART! Weird, eh?