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Dianne Shannon Art Therapy

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CADDRA, ADHD, and art therapy

I’m pleased to share that I’m now a member of the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA) made up of physicians, psychologists, allied health care professionals, and researchers interested in ADHD. CADDRA’s education, guidelines, advocacy, and research will help me better support people with ADHD.

People of all ages come to art therapy with big issues disrupting how they would rather live their lives, and many either know they have ADHD or think it’s a possibility. That’s why I joined CADDRA. Relationship troubles, addictions, anxiety, low self-esteem and self-worth, dangerous or difficult behaviour, not doing as well as expected at work or school can all be part of the ADHD experience.

Art therapy is engaging and helpful for people with ADHD because creativity:

  • is a physically active process
  • exercises executive functioning (like the process to create a collage!)
    • planning, organization, starting tasks, focusing, managing time, problem solving, and controlling emotions
  • does not rely on words to communicate
  • externalizes emotions and experiences
  • anchors strengths-based accomplishments in the object that’s made
    • sense of self-mastery
    • improved self-awareness and understanding
    • a concrete record of progress
  • provides tools for self-regulation and stress relief
  • strengthens fine and gross motor skills

I’m looking forward to weaving what I learn through CADDRA into my art therapy practice.

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Virtual Art Therapy Supervision Sessions Available

I’m happy to announce I’ve been approved for supervisor status with the Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA). VATI’s art therapy supervisor course, which included 30 hours of instruction plus course work, helped me prepare for my new role as supervisor.

I’m looking forward to collaborating with supervisees through individual and group sessions as they develop and fine-tune their professional goals, self-knowledge, and identity as an art therapist. Each session will include reflective art making.

Go to the supervision tab for more information: https://dianneshannonarttherapy.ca/art-therapy-supervision/

Supervision relationship – VATI assignment (2025)
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Free virtual art therapy intro

Curious about virtual art therapy?

Have your questions answered by following this link to book a free 1/2 hour session with me: https://dianneshannonarttherapy.noustalk.com/contactme

Studies show that virtual therapy can be just as effective as seeing a therapist in person. And you don’t have to leave your house. Use any materials or objects you have on hand, such as the examples in the photos below. 

The process is similar as in-person sessions: begin with a check in, choose and use materials to make something, I’ll ask questions about what the process was like for you and what you notice in what you’ve made. We’ll explore how your insights from what you’ve made increase your self-awareness, reduce or shift symptoms and/or perceptions, and inform how you can work toward the changes you want in your life.

As with all virtual therapy, a quiet place with no interruptions is important. I use the NousTalk therapy platform that provides secure, encrypted sessions.

Use any materials you have on hand!





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Autism, kids, and art therapy: update

Kids with autism often have strengths in the areas of non-verbal reasoning, creativity, imagination, and spatial relations. They can tap into these strengths through art therapy while being supported in other areas such as communication, social skills, motor skills, and self-regulation. Check out the documents below for more information about how children and youth with autism can benefit from art therapy.

UPDATE: Saskatchewan Health now allows families to use their Individualized Funding for art therapy. To be reimbursed for art therapy costs, children/youth need to be recommended for art therapy by their consultant or mental health staff at Autism Services Saskatoon, an Autism Service Provider or by a regulated professional within a school division, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, or the Athabasca Health Authority.

The list of approved services is reviewed annually. Art therapy becoming an approved service would mean families could contact Saskatchewan art therapists directly without needing a recommendation from a service provider.

To express your support for art therapy becoming an approved service, send a message to autismregistry@health.gov.sk.ca

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