Heather Wood, RTC #3655

WELCOME – I offer online & in-person art therapy sessions to adults and youth, as well as in-person groups & workshops, in and around Campbell River/ƛəmataxʷ, BC. I specialize in supporting clients through grief, loss, life transitions, identity exploration, stress, and trauma. Coverage for my services is available through many health benefits providers.

ART THERAPY SESSIONS – Art therapy, a form of psychological and somatic therapy, is adaptable and flexible to support clients in whatever state or stage they’re in. Depending on a client’s needs, we can fluctuate between a more somatic, sensorimotor approach and a more image and meaning making approach. We focus on expressive, creative action rather than on making “Art,” so no special skills or fancy art materials are needed.

Generally, we start with a check-in and ease into creative action with whatever art-making materials feel good. As we create, we literally make something that didn’t exist before. The therapeutic creative state opens us up, allowing room for things that didn’t exist before—new perspectives, new sensations, new questions, new connections, new skills, new healing, new hope. Then, through reflecting on the process and on the art itself, we gain possibilities and understanding that didn’t exist before. We surprise ourselves! One gift of art therapy is the sense of playful joy that arises through the creative process, even as we navigate deep, often painful challenges.

QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING – I am a Professional Art Therapist with the Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA), a Registered Counselling Therapist (RTC) with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada (ACCT), and certified in Guided Drawing® by the Institute of Sensorimotor Art Therapy. I hold a Graduate Diploma in Art Therapy from the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute and a Bachelor of Design Degree with Distinction from the University of Alberta. I have additional training in grief and loss support, trauma-informed therapy, Internal Family Systems therapy, cross-cultural therapy, and psychedelic/non-ordinary state integration.

THEORETICAL APPROACH – In each session, I draw from a variety of theoretical models and techniques, influenced by interpersonal neurobiology, transpersonal interconnectivity, integrated somatic and sensorimotor embodiment, feminist theory, trauma theory, compassionate mindfulness, and internal Family Systems. I work within a harm reduction and culturally humble framework, embracing the fundamental healing and enlivening role of creative action and self-guidance.

I welcome referrals and prospective clients to contact me. Visit www.HeatherWoodArtTherapy.ca to book a free consultation and explore if we’re a good therapeutic fit. Whether we end up working together or not, I wish you well.