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Welcome!

Are you looking for new ways to gain perspective and examine your life, access the healthiest version of yourself, and get in touch with your sources of inspiration and meaning?

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If you're struggling to connect with your health, happiness, creativity and motivation, you don't have to go it alone. Life may feel overwhelming, chaotic, and difficult to navigate, but it doesn't have to be this way. 

 

Together, we can identify and address areas for change and growth while celebrating and nourishing your strengths, so that you feel clear, calm, and empowered.

Services & APproach

I provide individual therapy to those 18 years or older, currently via secure video sessions. My approach to therapy is highly collaborative, and sessions include time for art-making, creative writing, and/or building from any other creative outlets you may have.

 

While creative approaches are central to my work with clients, it's important to note that the methods I incorporate into my work are trauma-informed and evidence-based. Overall, my style is validating and supportive- I will also gently encourage you to challenge your own assumptions and beliefs when they may be making your life more difficult. 

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Mental health is deeply personal and unique for each of us. Together, we will develop a plan that is specific and unique to your goals, anchored in the latest research, and creates space for the full expression of your experiences. 

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I'm available to work with those experiencing a range of strengths and challenges including: 

Major Life Transitions

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Parenting Concerns

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Caring for an Elderly Family Member

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Emotional Toll of Helping & Healthcare Professions

Stress, Anxiety and Burnout

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Creative Block/ Low Motivation

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Sad Mood and Depression

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Low Self-Esteem/ Self-Worth

Personal Empowerment

 

Career Changes

 

Competitive Environments & Athletic Performance

 

Relationship Difficulties & Establishing Boundaries
 

What might make us a good fit?

Finding the right therapist for you is a big part of accessing and nourishing your healthiest self, and it's important that you feel empowered and safe in your choice of who you work with.  While there is no magic formula to determine whether a therapist and client will be a good fit, there are some characteristics of how I work that past clients have shared felt particularly helpful to them.

 

Incorporating art and creativity in the context of therapy is not about creating a masterpiece or finished product, but about engaging in the process as a tool for insight, self-awareness, and catharsis. Worrying about how "good" the work looks can actually be counterproductive to the goals of therapy. Most of our lives are not perfect. The art doesn't have to be either. Sometimes, talking about painful topics can be overwhelming and disorienting, but externalizing thoughts and feelings through a creative medium allows you to process challenges with the cognitive, emotional, and sensorimotor areas of your brain, all at the same time. In short, things often seem more clear, connected, and contained.  

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You don't need to be an artist or identify as creative for us to work well together, although creative process does allow for us to jointly examine aspects of your life in a new way. If you haven't felt that talking about things has been the most helpful, then working with creative elements may provide a fresh and inspiring perspective. Creative process can also bring moments of fun and joy into the the healing process, even and especially if we're working on areas of your life that are painful or challenging. If you have long hoped to bring more creativity into your life as part of your self-care routine, but felt stuck or unsure of how to activate that, my approach may also be particularly helpful. Working in tandem, we'll identify your areas of focus in therapy and breathe healing, creative energy into our work together. 

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If you have a creative hobby, profession, or identity (in any medium) you may also feel that my approach feels especially supportive and helpful in comparison with traditional talk therapy approaches. When you are steeped in creative ways of thinking, applying that approach to your own emotions, challenges, and areas of growth can be extremely powerful. If you are struggling professionally with burnout or other difficulties, then reconnecting with your creative purpose (separate from your work product and income) can help you access personal and professional clarity, calm, and meaning in your life. When you are not feeling your best mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually, you may also have trouble tapping into your inspiration and creativity, which can be especially difficult if it is also a source of health for you. Together, we can revive or harness your creative energy towards empowering the change you want to see in your life.  

I offer free 30 minute consultations to prospective clients.

We'll use this time to discuss your needs, and if my approach might be a good fit. 

Services & Approach
Contact
About

A BIT ABOUT ME

Drew Smith (she/her)

I'm a Licensed Certified Art Therapist and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of Oregon and Pennsylvania. I've worked in many different community and clinical settings over the years, always to connect children, teens, adults, and seniors to the healing and life-giving energy of the creative process. 

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I completed my Master's Degree in Art Therapy at The George Washington University, and strongly believe that taking a broad view of creativity as part of the healing process provides powerful and highly individualized opportunities for growth and insight. I have also completed trainings in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.

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My work is firmly rooted in the understanding that individual health is deeply influenced by systems of power, oppression, culture, and heritage, which demand our active attention in all spaces, and especially in the context of therapy. 

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Fees & Billing

FEES & BILLING

45 Minute Individual Therapy Session: $145

55 Minute Individual Therapy Session: $170

75 Minute Individual Therapy Session: $190

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All sessions are currently offered through secure video session. 

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OHP CareOregon Clients: Please note that the process for covering sessions requires a prior-authorization, which I may request following an initial consultation.

 

For all other insurance carriers, I can generate a super bill that you may submit to your insurance for reimbursement.

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