Counseling and Art Therapy Services

We provide counseling to individuals, couples, and families specializing in depression, anxiety, intergenerational and complex trauma, cross-cultural intersections, relational attachment, and expanding healthy identity.

In a typical counseling session at Chicago Art Therapy Collective we may invite you to identify an area of your life you would like to work on, and then together discussing ways for you to understand, approach, and respond to the situation. We may encourage you to use particular art media that can help you externalize your internal state in order to reflect on your situation, or shift your perspective to expand your potential for change. You may find that the sensory process of creating art brings relief, reduces negative emotions, and builds new understanding and acceptance of your experiences. We do not pathologize or interpret the art work you create—instead we guide you to find your own personal understanding of your work by asking questions that may help you know yourself more fully.

Our services also include community-oriented work focused on fighting racism and challenging the dominant social discourses in society that contribute to marginalization and impact mental health. We are looking to develop partnerships with local groups to offer the use of our space, and to raise critical consciousness with various client populations through the aligned practice of community art therapy. Please email us at chicagoarttherapycollective@gmail.com to share your proposals and ideas for collaboration.

  • Art Therapy

    Art therapy is an established mental health profession that helps clients to access a visual entry point for deepened self-awareness. Through guided engagement with the innate creative process, a new way opens to safely explore and better regulate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This creative lens is integrated with holistic evidence-based counseling models for effective, personalized care.

  • EMDR Therapy

    EMDR Therapy is a psychotherapy method developed to help people heal from psychological and emotional trauma. It posits that if the brain’s adaptive information processing system is blocked by a traumatic event, this dysfunction can continue to cause suffering. EMDR Therapy uses bilateral stimulation to activate the brains’ natural healing processes, and move beyond the trauma to renewed mental health.

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

    DBT is a cognitive therapy model focused on developing specific skills in order to be more aware of diverse feelings, and to gain internal balance. Through DBT clients learn to manage upsetting emotions and situations without making things worse, reduce vulnerability to difficult feelings, and find effective ways of interacting with others in even challenging circumstances.

  • Trauma-Informed Mindfulness

    We recognize the complex interaction between trauma and our nervous systems. We use a trauma-informed lens that helps clients stay within their physiological window of tolerance, and avoid exposure to triggers while learning techniques to stay grounded, engaged in the moment, and able to safely and progressively attend to and accept their sensations and their bodies.

  • Workshops and Groups

    Chicago Art Therapy Collective offers groups and workshops on a rotating basis based on client interest and need. Art Therapy groups provide the benefit of different perspectives, creative community, camaraderie, and accountability. Making art in a group setting can also promote confidence and help develop new artistic skills within a supportive environment.

  • Animal-Assisted Interventions

    Finnegan is a cocker spaniel who has completed the training and testing requirements for certification with Therapy Dogs International (TDI). His loyal, outgoing nature and love of people helps him develop deep and lasting bonds with clients. He provides emotional support and a presence of warm, non-judgmental acceptance.

  • Supervision and Coaching

    Art Therapy is a thriving profession that provides a meaningful path to blend psychotherapy and artistic training. The process of becoming an art therapist involves earning a Master’s Degree from an accredited program and receiving supervision from a fully credentialed art therapist. We offer art-based supervision to support emerging professionals entering the field.

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

    ACT is a non-linear behavioral therapy model that seeks to maximize human potential for a rich and meaningful life, while effectively handling the pain that comes along with living. This model helps clients to clarify what is important to them, and to use this knowledge as a guide to develop psychological flexibility and motivate life-enriching behavior.