Join art therapist, artist, friend Chrystene Ells and Xstine Cook for an immersive, nature-based, creative experience August 21-25 just south of Saskatoon.
“Connect with nature and your inner wilderness through mythic archetypes, mask making with natural materials, and therapeutic art practices…this retreat extends an invitation to explore the potential potency of aging and menopause through creative reflection and shared exchange. “
Space is limited to 8 participants.
Over the next three weekends I’m looking forward to learning more about art therapy and: neuroscience; grief, death, and loss; materials and techniques. Check out the impressive speakers who are presenting. And it’s free! https://www.artstherapies.org/course/world-art-therapy-conference-2025
The province’s Teacher Innovation and Support Fund is available for initiatives to improve student and teacher wellness, student achievement, and school safety. What a great opportunity for teachers to bring art therapy to schools in support of student mental health! Find an art therapist near you to team up for accessible, developmentally responsive, and trauma-informed student supports.
Bringing art therapy to schools reduces barriers to access supports and offers opportunities to do groups with peers who share common experiences. I’ve delivered groups in schools for children who witness violence, newcomer children and youth, high-risk youth in care, bullying behaviours as well as individual art therapy sessions.
Here’s a link to videos on my site about the benefits of art therapy in schools: https://dianneshannonarttherapy.ca/about-art-therapy/#:~:text=Art%20Therapy%20in%20Schools
Here are some of the many examples when you do an “art therapy in schools” online search:
https://thrivealliancegroup.com/art-therapy-improves-mental-health-and-behavior-at-school/
https://arttherapy.org/art-therapy-helps-children-make-sense-of-the-insensible/
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Two days of presentations through the Children’s Grief Awareness Symposium provided concrete tools and relevant information, so glad I took part! Feeling fortunate to have more tools in my tool box to support grieving children and youth. Topics I attended were about the death of a sibling or parent, the complexities of children’s grief, grief experiences of Indigenous youth, how grief presents in very young children, grief in the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and understanding anticipatory grief.
Many friends and family over the past few years have been confronted with a cancer diagnosis and treatment, so I decided to go through the American Art Therapy Association’s outcomes-based research bibliography for information about art therapy’s efficacy for cancer patients. The articles I found are listed in the attached pdf file for those of you who are also interested. A Google search of “cancer and art therapy” will also bring up many, many examples of art therapy in cancer treatment.
RCAT, CRPO-RP (qualifying)
Art therapy is a way to explore issues, concerns, and strategies for change using the creative process that does not rely on words to be helpful. The questions I ask about how and what you’ve made lead to insights that increase your self-awareness and inform the direction you want to take toward positive change.
You do not need to be an artist to do art therapy. You use materials on hand to make spontaneous art or to do creative activities I suggest about what brought you to art therapy. You can make scribbles, stick figures, swirls of colour, collage images, clay shapes, glitter and paint on wood, etc. Can’t imagine what virtual art therapy would be like? Check out my blog post: https://dianneshannonarttherapy.ca/2020/12/06/healing-with-virtual-art-therapy/
Virtual sessions are available if you live in Ontario (many insurance providers cover session costs) or in a province without a regulatory college (so my insurance covers our sessions) including: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon.
In-person outreach sessions in the Saskatoon area for groups and individuals will be available starting January 2026. Get in touch to discuss how I can deliver art therapy to your location and possible funding options.
Request a free virtual meeting with me to find out how art therapy might help you: https://dianneshannonarttherapy.noustalk.com/contactme
I acknowledge and am grateful for the Treaty Six Territory and Métis nation homeland on which I live and work.
Dianne Shannon Art Therapy 