Counseling & Art Workshops 4 Women: About Me

About Me

Greetings! My journey to being a licensed marriage and family therapist and art therapist did not happen overnight or right out of my undergraduate work. I worked in healthcare for many years before pursuing a career as an art therapist. I have been an artist all of my life and I understand the therapeutic and joyful value of having an art practice. The art I am talking about is not based on product, but rather the process of creating art. I write more about this in my section on art therapy.

As a licensed marriage and family therapist and art therapist, I believe in the creative process to promote well being, self-awareness and joy in the healing process. I also believe we are all here to discover the answers to our BIG questions, such as what makes me happy? Should I or shouldn't I get married and/or have children?What do I want to do with my life? Who am I when I take my masks off? I bring both my varied background in working in healthcare for many years, and my love of creative expression to my work with individuals and groups. I am a trained art therapist from Phillip's Graduate Institute and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California.

I specialize in working with women who seek to feel more empowered in their lives and who would like to feel greater acceptance and trust within themselves. Whether it is anxiety, depression, career dilemmas, mid-life transitions or chronic illness, we can work together to find a place of balance and trust.

Most of all, I will help you develop a healthy relationship with yourself so that you can go out into the world with a secure sense of self rather than a doubt. It is not about being perfect, but feeling WHOLE.

Feel free to email me for more information about how I work, my workshops and my use of creative self-expression. Victoria@arttherapyla.com

Have you told yourself you value and trust yourself today?

In peace,

Victoria

Education and Training

I have a BA in creative writing from Antioch University and an MA in psychology from Phillip's Graduate Institute with an emphasis in art therapy. I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Art Therapist in private practice in West Los Angeles. I am a writer, artist, animal advocate and a workshop leader. I completed a two-year postgraduate training in art therapy at Thalian's Child and Family Outpatient Mental Health Clinic at Cedar's Sinai Medical Center. I trained in Outpatient Substance abuse counseling, domestic violence and facilitate mandala, paper collage and various creative-expression workshops. My focus today is working with women, who seek healing from emotional abuse, chronic illness, self-esteem issues and relational challenges.

2018 WOMEN'S CREATIVITY WORKSHOPS

Sunday, June 24: Adventures in Accordion Art

Saturdays:

July 14 & 28; August 11 & 25; Sept., 8 & 22

1-4PM

Process art is a powerful tool to decrease anxiety, manage depression and promote healing. In these 3-hour workshops, you will work with collage, mixed-media, mandalas and paint that requires no art training...learn as you go. Relax and have fun. Connect with others. No art experience required. Safe and supportive setting. $40. Paypal link below. Questions, contact me at: 310-922-3957.

Second and fourth Saturday of every month. (some changes may occur.)

Are you interested in exploring your creative side? Curious about what "creativity" is exactly? Then this circle is for you! Learn easy and fun techniques such as art journaling, mandalas, and paper collage to help you unleash your creative spirit. Using your intuition rather than your thinking brain you are invited to combine different mediums or stick with one. If you already keep a written journal, learn to add collage, paint and color. Learn how having a creative practice can relieve stress and add joy to your life! Each week, you will learn a new technique to add to your creative process. No art exp. required. Have fun and tap into your creative side. Supplies provided, but feel free to bring your own.

Space limited. Registration policy. Must pay in advance. $40. Register at paypal.me/victoriavanzand/40. Send to: victoria@arttherapyla.com to secure your spot. Call 310-922-3957 for more info. West LA Location.

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Other Creative Opportunities

I can work with you whether you are in Los Angeles or outside of the Los Angeles area. If you are not local, we can arrange to do phone sessions. If you are feeling blocked creatively and in need of creative mentoring, I'm happy to support you in that area as well. I'm available to come to you for one-on-one and women's creative group sessions. I lead monthly The Art of Mandalas, Open Mixed Media Art Salons and Paper Collage Techniques workshops.

Sometimes our lives are just too busy to make a weekly commitment or, we have an illness or some other life limitation that makes it difficult or impossible to get to sessions. I am here to work with you via phone and whatever works for you.

How to Choose a Therapist?

So, you've been told you should see a therapist or, you have come to the conclusion by yourself that you need help and support through a difficult life event. So, now what do you do? You are too embarrassed to ask a friend for a referral. You decide to go online and search the therapist sites, but come up blank because there are so many of them. And really have no clue how to select a therapist that is a good fit for you. Here's what you do:

!. Decide if you want see a man or a woman or if it doesn't matter.

2. Know the approximate age range of the therapist you would feel most comfortable with.

3. Do you need someone who takes insurance or out of pocket only?

4. If you have a specific issue you need help with ask them what their experience is with that issue.

5. Bottom line, when it comes to selecting a therapist, the most important thing to be aware of is whether you feel comfortable and safe with the clinician.

2017 WOMEN'S CREATIVITY WORKSHOPS

Saturdays, November 11th & 25th.

1-4PM

Second and fourth Saturday of every month. (some changes may occur.)

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Grief & Art Expression

Healing Grief with ART

We are all familiar with the 5 stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Though they don't always happen in that order, research has discovered, at some point in the grief process, you will most likely experience an aspect of these emotions. Grief surfaces when we have a loss in our life. That loss can include health, a relationship, a pet, a job, and/or a child leaving home. What arises are a roller coaster of emotions that can have us feeling lost, alone, depressed, angry, and out of control.

Art is one way to express the array of feelings that come up. Putting down on paper what words might not be able to express, is one way to aid in the healing process of grief. Art has a way of releasing the tension that comes along with grief. It gives us a place to unload our feelings and calm our soul. Art provides a container in which to hold what we are feeling and a safe place to put them. We give a voice to what we are experiencing by putting down on paper the colors, shapes and images that represent what is in our heart. We get a break from the pain as we paint, draw, collage, work with clay and focus our attention on the creative process. It is not to say the feelings of grief go away, it means we are given a few moments to allow our grief to speak and to invite calm in.

Having an understanding and respect for the grief process is important to the healing process and our emotional well-being.

Peacefully,

Victoria

Inspiration

Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.

~Joseph Campbell

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