Blog
May 11, 2026
This June will mark 20 years since I received my Education degree in Drama and Social Studies, and I am fortunate enough to say that for a majority of those 20 years I have had the opportunity to teach theatre as my primary subject.
I was not the kid who wanted to sit in a classroom and learn. I didn’t hate it – but I struggled with rote memorization, which was the primary mode of teaching in the early 2000’s. Even in my Education degree, the classes I enjoyed the most were my Theatre classes. And I will be honest – if I didn’t take Theatre in Uni, I probably wouldn’t have made it through Uni in the first place. I also struggled with fitting in. I was deeply in the closet until I was 21, and didn’t fully come out for nearly a year afterwards because I struggled figuring out my identity and who I wanted to be versus who others thought I should be.
The one place that always made me feel at home was on stage. I started dancing when I was 5, and started taking drama classes when I was 12. The arts helped shape who I am today, and gave me the confidence I needed to be myself. When I was teaching in Hong Kong I found myself advocating for more of my students in Grades 9 and 10 to take an arts class when they were in Grades 11/12 in the IB. “Group 6” (The Arts) was often pitted against taking a second science class, or another humanities class – and students would often choose to take another academic class over an arts class. Their parents often found value in academics over the arts, but it was my experience as a teacher that saw that students who took an arts class (any arts class – not just my theatre class) found greater academic satisfaction in their final two years of school. But as an educator, I found that creative thinking, and creative critical thinking more importantly, was something that really helped students find their voice. There was also a power there. Students who were often feeling stressed, anxious, or burnt out from their academic subjects would always leave feeling more energized and grounded after 75 minutes in a theatre studio. This is what led me to the Expressive Arts.
Now I am transitioning out of the classroom and shifting into my private practice as an Expressive Arts Therapist, offering group and 1 – 1 sessions. A common problem I have encountered since entering this field is that people don’t know what Expressive Art Therapy is; or they reduce it to Art Therapy and think that this is what I do… but it is quite different. In a session with me, I meet you where you are at in the moment – checking in and asking you to reflect on how you are feeling, or if anything is weighing on you that you may want to discuss. After this has been explored we begin the art making phase of the session. Again, this is led by you – if you want to paint, make music, move your body, write poetry, create shadow images, or go on a nature walk – you decide what feels right. In this section I can either work alongside you as a partner, or I can observe and let you explore on your own – but I will guide and gently prompt you as you create. The most important thing here is to engage the imagination and let it take you wherever you want it to go.
After the art making phase is complete we will reflect on the art making process together. I will let you know what I observed through the process and ask any questions that piqued my curiosity, and I will also ask you if there were any surprises from your work. Then I will ask you if there is anything in your work that may connect to the check in we did at the start of the session. Did any answers come up, or were there any connections made that add more meaning to you in that moment? If you can’t think of anything right away that is okay – it may take some time for them to emerge.
As we near the end of the session I will check in with you again to see how you’re feeling in comparison to the start. Often, I will suggest treating yourself to some kind of treat, like a coffee/tea, or a walk. Just something to make the transition back into your day a bit more gentle.
And no, this format does not cover what every session will look like. Each session is built around your current needs. If you feel like you are in need of more grounding then I can offer a sound bath, or some breathwork before we shift into art making.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, please reach out. I’d be happy to offer a 15 minute discovery call to discuss options. I can offer both in person and online sessions throughout Metro Vancouver and BC.