COST: $45 per session. Insurance may be billable; please inquire. 

INCLUDES: Professional instruction and guidance, and all art materials.

NOTE: Pre-screening is required to join this group, to ensure it's a good fit for your needs. You may be referred to other resources at the discretion of the instructor. Please include your email and phone when registering, and your instructor will be in touch. 

In this confidential, therapeutic art group, you will learn simple mind/body techniques to identify and name the issues, emotions, memories and longings that are affecting your life. We will use these as touchstones for creative work and expression, using a variety of art and craft media, writing, reflection, movement, and sound. You will learn methods which can be developed into an everyday practice to support you in between group sessions.

 In the process of creating, we allow the wisdom and power of our work to transform and enlighten that which was previously obscured. In the use of art as a healing practice, many have found a path forward through states such as grief and loss, illness, separation, relationship conflict, profound life changes, and more.

About the Instructor: Serena Appel, LPC, MA, has a background in fine and performing arts, Art Therapy, and creative writing, with a love of mixed media and expressive arts. She is an alumni of SAIC, which is the educational branch of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL. She graduated "down the street" with a BFA from Columbia College, where she specialized in learning jewelry construction. She went on to sell her creative work in galleries, art fairs and festivals, as well as mixing it up with Chicago's legendary music and spoken word poetry scene. She relocated to Portland, Oregon in 1999, and earned her Masters in Art Therapy/Counseling from Marylhurst University. Since 2006, she has worked with a wide variety of client populations, with a focus in community based mental health and trauma-informed care. Serene Abundance Studio Space is her vision and an extension of her private practice, combining community space, supported learning, and an approach to the arts that promotes healing, inspiration and personal growth.