Art Therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making. Art therapists have training in studio arts and psychotherapy. By making art in the presence of an Licensed Art Therapist, a person may increase self-understanding; better cope with symptoms of distress; develop insight through conversation with symbolic imagery; and enjoy the life-affirming pleasure of creative self-expression.
A Relational approach to Art Therapy uses art materials as the entry point for addressing relational dynamics. Through the co-creative sensory process, a relational approach aims to increase awareness of our emotional patterns and help heal attachment wounds by providing new healthy relational experiences that support vibrant aliveness.
No previous creative arts experience is necessary to benefit from art therapy. All human beings are, at heart, creative. Art-making during therapy enlivens the process of self-discovery within the helping relationship, allowing new perspectives to emerge from a place of imagination, inner wisdom, and relational connection.
Mindfulness practices cultivate awareness of thoughts, sensations, and feelings as they occur within body and mind, without requiring interpretation or judgment. Meditation and other mindfulness practices bring body/mind into a non-dual state of rest and balance, characterized by stillness, letting go, and all-acceptance. Developing a regular meditation practice can open the door to the possbility of lasting relief from feelings of overwhelming distress and suffering. All human beings share a deep wish to connect and find peace within themselves. People in treatment who engage in mindfulness practice regularly often find that, while difficult emotions continue to surface, they do not persist with the same intensity and solidity as before. Transformation happens gradually, as individuals begin to watch, accept, and release unhelpful patterns of thought and behavior and replace them with more skillful means and natural equanimity.
“The manifestation of the Self, this inner order, this pattern for wholeness, is the most important moment in the development of the personality.”
Dora Kalff, Sandplay (1980)
Developed by Swiss Jungian Analyst Dora Kalff, Sandplay is a form of therapy that gives people of all ages the opportunity to portray, rather than verbalize, feelings and experiences often inaccessible and/or difficult to put into words. Sandplay also provides a an imaginal balance to more cognitively oriented talk therapy and can lead to the integration of changes taking place deep within the psyche during the course of therapy.
“In the midst of an age and time that rushes toward the future, the simplicity and depth of Sandplay helps maintain a place of internal integrity as well as a sanctuary for contact with the symbolic world, out of which can emerge a healing experience. With the use of images (i.e., the miniatures on the nearby shelves) in the safe space provided by the analyst, the making of the sand creation begins to unfold. It is in this creative play in the sand where the ancient archetypal patterns that live within us are explored. And it is the very action of Sandplay - that is, the viewing, personal choosing, and the placing of the miniatures in the sand - that activates this powerful internal archetypal dimension. The analyst remains close by, a silent witness, who primarily reverberates empathically to the client creating the tray. The silence helps to contain and honor the experience so that what has been expressed can continue reverberating within the client.
Upon completion of a Sandplay picture during a therapy session, the client may make comments about the scene. However, interpretations and discussions about the trays by the therapist are not initiated until after a series of trays (called a Sandplay process) have been created over time. It is important that the unconscious can continue to be accessed without the client being concerned about what the therapist has said or will say about the sand picture.”
Harriet S. Friedman, M.A., M.F.T., J.A.
Hello! I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and and Licensed Art Therapist offering psychotherapy services to children, adolescents, and adults for a range of treatment concerns, including: anxiety; depression; grief and loss; past trauma; stress management; attention issues; spiritual questions; and life transitions. I encourage depth analytic work with symbols and archetypes through art-making, creative writing, and sandplay. Additionally, I utilize an evidence-based apporach to helping you achieve your therapy goals, including interventions from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT.)
I hold a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy from Southwestern College in New Mexico as well as a Master’s Degree in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley. As an udergraduate, I attended Sarah Lawrence College and studied poetry, US history, and anthropology. A practicing Buddhist for more than 25 years, I stay active with tennis, cycling, and basketry. Professional memberships include the Sandplay Therapists of America, the American Art Therapy Association, and the Oregon Counseling Association. LGBTQI2S+affirming.
The fee for an Intake Assessment is $200. Individual and family therapy is $180 per session.
Fee reductions may be available to those with demonstrated financial need and are negotiated on an individual basis—please inquire.
I do not currently accept insurance plans.
Initial phone consultations up to 30 minutes are free.
offering both Telehealth and office-based appointments
Trinity Treat, LPC, ATR
Eugene, OR
