About
WHEAT Institute
Wellness Center
Online Art & Expressive Arts Therapy
The WHEAT Online Wellness Centre provides online groups, individual art therapy and expressive arts sessions for healing and wellness. Student therapists are available to help you amplify your creativity and self-awareness, build self-esteem, relax and come into the present moment. A variety of arts media will be explored including paint, clay, pastels and more. Expressive arts sessions incorporate a variety of arts modalities such as visual art, poetry, drama and movement.
Through this program, students are able to complete a portion of their practicum hours. All students receive regular supervision with experienced, registered art and expressive arts therapists.
The individual sessions are available on a sliding scale of $40-$20 and group sessions $88-$60 per group, with an option for free service for those without means. This unique time in history calls on us to find ways to manage our stress and build community through playful creative exploration.
We invite you to join us! All are welcome!
Individual and group sessions allow participants a safe space to connect and create. We are a strength-focused centre, supporting all individuals interested in a therapeutic arts experience. Art therapy provides a creative, empowering and inspiring approach to address life challenges for a variety of concerns. Our wellness centre will focus on enhancing client wellness through creativity. Read on on to see how you can access art and expressive arts therapy and wellness groups with student therapists in their first and second years of training.
Online Art & Expressive Arts Therapy Groups
Online Groups: Art and expressive arts therapy groups utilize the arts as a medium for personal transformation and wellness. Groups may include visual art, poetry, movement, drama, music, storytelling and mindfulness as ways to help people in address a variety of concerns. Explore the program descriptions to see details about each group and check the bios to meet the facilitators. Groups provide wonderful opportunities to build sense of community, express yourself creatively, and learn about yourself and others.
Your contribution helps us cover the cost of our Online Wellness Center and can be offered as follows: Group Sliding Scale $88 - $60 per group or no cost for those with limited means.
Read on to meet our student group facilitators and see their offerings in our calendar.
Upcoming
Groups
Student
Group Facilitators
Watch for upcoming Group Offerings to be announced in this space.
Individual Online Sessions
Individual Support: Art therapy and expressive arts sessions support people in using their creativity to deal with life challenges. Our student therapists can support you with feeling greater sense of life balance, wellness, and relaxation. We offer all sessions on a pay-as-you-can basis, with the following suggested contribution.
Your contribution helps us cover the cost of our Online Wellness Center and can be offered as follows: $40-20 per session sliding scale or no cost for those with limited means.
Read on to meet our student therapists and learn how to register.
Individual Session
Student Practitioners
Melody Graham
Second Year Harmonized Art and Expressive Arts Therapy
Hi, I’m Melody (a.k.a. Mel)! I have always loved art, music, reading, writing, and movement. I’m an Art and Expressive Arts Therapy student in my second year at WHEAT, where throughout my practicum I’ve worked with individuals and groups in a trauma recovery centre and an art drop-in centre. I got my B.A. in Psychology and Conflict Resolution in 2017, I’ve worked as a Direct Support Professional, and I’ve volunteered with seniors as well as a hospital art program. I wholeheartedly believe in the power of creativity to transform our experience of life.
Andrea Hawco
Second Year Harmonized Art and Expressive Arts Therapy
Andrea is an Art Therapy student studying at WHEAT Institute. She is passionate about supporting clients in grief, in particular losses through death divorce, brain injury, and critical illness. She also enjoys helping clients cope with life changes. Andrea is certified in children's grief, grief recovery method, David Kessler's grief educator program, and somatic experiencing intermediate level. Her passion for supporting loss and change has led her to art therapy as an option to express. Andrea currently facilitates several hospice art based groups around grieving the loss of a family member. She has also lead an art expression group at the Brain Injury group.
Andrea welcomes working with youth and adults. She is available for online sessions Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday between 9 AM - 12 Noon and Sunday evenings 6 - 9 PM Manitoba time through Zoom.
Amanda Daku
Second Year Rivers of Solidarity Art and Expressive Arts Therapy
Amanda is a registered social worker and a student Art and Expressive Art Therapist. Amanda offers a safe, caring, confidential environment during sessions. Amanda offers counselling services to adults, couples, teens, children, and families. Amanda's top priority is building a strong rapport during sessions so clients can move forward in their healing journey with the least number of barriers. During sessions Amanda walks alongside clients to meet them where they are at, providing support and resources to build the tools to find strength and power within themselves to heal. Amanda's counseling methods come from a strength-based, holistic and trauma informed approach. Knowing that with guidance every client has the answers within them.
Tina Overbury
First Year Expressive Arts Therapy
Tina is an Expressive Arts Therapist (in training), storyteller, artist and story/author coach. She works in two capacities: As an emerging Expressive Arts Therapist using expression as a path to healing, and storytelling (visual, spoken, written) and performance as a way to build resilience through connection.
Her individual and group facilitation work is heavily influenced by the principles of circle work (Evelyn Zellerer, Peace of the Circle and Restorative justice) and Indigenous ways of knowing and being (Norm Leech, The Village Workshop and PowHERhouse). Tina is currently writing her first book, Story from The Core based on her development of twelve core stories rooted in creation stories from around the world, and her last decade of individual care and support of artists and writers. Tina offers to every person she works with that each of us has been entrusted with something rich and beautiful, and it is innate to the story of who we are.
She is also an artist, having created pieces for film, the stage, and publication. Her work is rooted in myth, mysticism, and always with a spirit of PLAY. Tina is a mom to three children now 14, 20 and 22 and lives on Bowen Island surrounded by trees, the ocean and wind.
Nicole Jol BA, RSSW
Pronouns: they/she
Second Year Rivers of Solidarity Art and Expressive Arts Therapy
I am a second generation canadian with dutch and polish roots. I consider myself a helper that is working towards creating safe and courageous spaces for discovery through art making and expression. Respecting that each of us are the experts of our own lives. There is also a lot to learn about ourselves by being with others in a supportive way. A therapeutic relationship may have the ability to hold what you are going through and we can work together to find ways to move through difficulty, shift towards balance, healing and well-being. I look forward to sitting down with you.
Andrea Cranston
First Year Expressive Arts Therapy
Andrea is an expressive arts therapy student. She has been working as an educator for 15 years providing emotional / social support to a wide variety of students and has a passion for the arts. Andrea is excited to share her love for expressive arts and walk beside others as they move forward on their journey of self-growth, overall well-being, creative expression, and taking on life's challenges. Andrea is a neurodivergent caregiver to three young boys. She loves to incorporate nature-based creative arts, eco-art therapy, and mindfulness into her practice, especially in the forest on her acreage near the shores of Lake Winnipeg, as well as on the beautiful Lake of the Woods where she grew up. Andrea specializes in working with children and is eager to work with all ages; as she has been enjoying her work with a 55+ creative arts group in her local community.
To Participate You Will Need:
-
an internet connection and a willingness to meet online
-
the ability to connect to Zoom
-
basic art supplies
-
a sketch book or paper
-
signed consent to participate in either group or individual counselling
-
an emergency phone contact who can be reached during the sessions
To Register:
Please fill out our form to register for either group or individual sessions, or both. If you have a preference for a student therapist, please indicate at the bottom of the form, and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
If you register for a group, your group facilitator will send you an email to arrange a time for a brief intake session.
If you register for individual art or expressive arts therapy, our Practicum Coordinator will refer you to an available student therapist and help arrange a time to connect for an intake session.