Trauma-informed therapy · Online & in your community
Sometimes it’s easier to begin with petals and paint than with words.
Acts of creativity put the mind in a state of receptivity — open to what words alone can’t reach.
A different doorway
From the body up, as well as the mind down.
Finding words for your inner world matters, and we’ll do that together. But understanding doesn’t only come from thinking things through. It can also rise up from the body, the senses and the act of making something.
When words won’t come, we can reach for something else — a colour, a shape, a stone in your hand, a movement — and let understanding grow from there.
When we create, we stop bracing and start receiving. Things surface that trying harder could never reach. Making things is one of the oldest ways humans have told the story of their experience — it lives in every one of us, and no skill is needed. What I bring is the space: room to play, held safely, so something new can come through.
What a session can feel like
First we anchor. Then, slowly, we look.
-
Anchoring
We might begin a session by anchoring you in the present — breath, grounding, something simple for your hands — so your nervous system can settle and you feel safe enough to go further.
-
Untangling
From that safe ground, we can begin to peel back the layers. Knotted thoughts loosen. The fog starts to lift. We only go as far as feels right, and you always have a choice.
-
Gathering
We notice what has surfaced and what you’d like to carry with you — a little more clarity, a little more room to breathe.
Your resources
You already carry what you need.
Together we notice what your nervous system and body are bringing, and what’s already there to support you — your gifts, your ways of steadying yourself, the people and places that hold you. Little by little, in relationship, we begin to make shifts over time.
Who you are
All of you is welcome here.
Your culture, language, identity and family come into the room with you. I bring mine too — I live between Eastern and Western ways of life — and I stay curious about how yours shape you.
Hi, I’m Dena
Artist. Expressive arts therapist.
I work one-on-one with children as young as 6 through to adults, and I’m currently exploring my passion for working with adolescents and youth. I also facilitate art groups, and offer art therapy sessions with or without a psychoeducational piece.
My private practice is online. For organizations, I bring groups to you.
English · فارسی · Français
Trained in expressive arts therapy at the CREATE Institute, Toronto. Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), practising under clinical supervision. I’ve also led groups with the YWCA, the Child Development Institute and the Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities.
Within reach
If you’re BIPOC and facing financial barriers, I offer a low-cost rate — no proof needed. My standard rate is $100 per individual session. Reach out for group rates.
Begin with a conversation
If any part of you is curious —
Write to me for a free 15-minute call. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you here and whether we’re a good fit.
denaexat@gmail.com