Online and in-person art therapy and counseling in Pennsylvania
Creative healing from toxic relationships, codependency, and oppressive systems.
You are in the right place if you can relate to one or more (or all) of the following:
Putting the needs of others before your own (aka ‘people pleasing’)
Knowing exactly what other people in your life want and need, but not being able to clearly identify these things for yourself
Feeling guilty or selfish (or really uncomfortable) when you think about taking time for ‘self-care’
Believing that the way you grew up or the relationships you’ve been in ‘could have been worse’
Sensing that your (rising) anxiety or depression may have roots in something deeper than just present circumstances
Experiencing waves of emptiness, as though the way you are living is not authentic to who you really are
These behaviors, beliefs, and feelings may have become a way of life for you.
You may even think to yourself…
“Maybe…this is just who I am.”
This way of living is actually not ‘who you are.’ This is how you’ve been taught to be. Sometimes it’s from direct messages we’ve gotten from dysfunctional families or relationships. Other times it’s indirect messages from sometimes well-meaning caregivers, or toxic systems in society. Wherever it comes from, we’ve gotten the idea that we need to be “seen and not heard,” that we come last, or that we don’t even matter at all.
And because all of this is learned, it also means it can be un-learned.
Hi, I’m Erica (she/her).
I’m so glad you’re here.
I am a white, cis, able-bodied, anti-oppressive art therapist and counselor. In therapy with me you’ll feel supported, but also challenged to make changes in your life that will result in you feeling less detached and more alive. You will start living authentically for yourself and for ‘your people’ without sacrificing your own needs in the process.
Through our work together, you’ll begin to:
Figure out the specific beliefs and behaviors that are keeping you feeling stuck, disconnected, and unfulfilled
Learn practical ways to change your patterns
Heal from big, small, or repeated wounds, which are often where some of these beliefs and behaviors begin
Start feeling your feelings and understanding them as information, not as a sign that ‘something is wrong’
Understand how oppressive systems have influenced and harmed you
Experience more self-love… (which is a lofty goal I know. We’ll start with self-acceptance and move up from there)
Change can be hard.
Sometimes it just feels easier to fall back into our old patterns~ because even though they’re not healthy or making us happy, it’s what we know.
Sometimes, it can feel easier to run away.
It’s tough work, but it really is possible to feel different~ to feel ‘better,’ to feel more fulfilled, and to move through the pain of your past.
Ironically, by healing yourself, you’ll be better able to show up for the people whose needs you have been putting first all these years.
Services
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Using creativity and art materials to support the therapy process and increase insight. Learn more here.
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Traditional talking through issues and problems. Learn more here.
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For white folks who want to explore internalized racism and toxic whiteness without placing the burden of leading this work on folks of color. Learn more here.
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Have an idea about about how we could collaborate? Reach out to connect!
