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I
recently received my Master’s degree in Art therapy from Drexel/Hahnemann
University. I am currently working as an art therapist at a long-term
structured residence program part of Einstein Healthcare Network in
Philadelphia, Pa. The populations I currently work with are comprised
of adults and the elderly who have chronic mental illnesses. I have
had experiences working wi I completed my most recent internship at a nursing home, working for 8 months with a wide range of functioning within the elderly population. I worked closely with many individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the population I also chose to base my thesis upon. Sections of my thesis can be viewed here I like to utilize art therapy philosophy and treatment in conjunction with talk therapies, and am most influenced by person-centered, cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based therapies. For as long as I can remember, I have always been interested in the emotive and emotional power and influence of art and the art process. Creating art has been a natural method for expression and communication for me since childhood. Being
exposed to the healing powers that are inherent in creating artwork
through an art therapy framework, I believe that individuals are capable
of experiencing release of tension and anxiety and can cultivate methods
of enhancing self-awareness and insight. Within
my own creative process, I am currently interested in pursuing how of
connections between the visual, music and movement arts influence cognition
and behavior. I am influenced by a myriad of people, places and philosophies,
via other art modalities such as music, dance and poetry, and by connections
elicited by interesting others. |
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a wide range of populations, including children with behavioral disorders,
mental illness, both acute and chronic, and Dementia.