Meet The Intake Coordinator: Jen Spanedda

LIf you are looking to connect with the Artful Life, the first person you will probably be speaking with is Jen Spanedda, our Intake Coordinator! Jen started at the Artful Life in September 2018 as an intern, and joined the team as an official employee the following spring. She is thrilled to be a part of The Artful Life team and is grateful for the opportunity to promote and provide both individuals and greater community with the power of creative expression.
Jen is currently finishing her Masters in Social Work, is a registered PATH Intl. therapeutic riding instructor, and has years of experience in non-traditional settings with a variety of populations (including but not limited to children and adults with physical or developmental disabilities, depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma, and other life stressors). She is committed to encouraging growth and reflection, empowerment, and the development of a sense of self in the people she works with, regardless of age or experience.

Question: How did you get into this field?

Answer: Most of my background in mental health actually involves therapeutic interaction with horses, and from there I was introduced to the concept of expressive arts therapy. In 2012, I was working in southern Utah at a residential program for teenagers in recovery – the program was wilderness-based and equine-based, so over the winter there was a lot of time inside. We started having the clients experiment with art supplies during groups, and they LOVED it! Seeing how engaged they were and how their insight was brought to the next level was incredible, and once I entered graduate school in 2018, I decided I wanted a field placement that specifically used the expressive arts. I ended up at The Artful Life by a complete stroke of luck, and have loved every minute of my learning and work here!

Anakin, who first introduced Jen to the healing power of horses.

Question: How do you incorporate the arts into your counseling practice?

Answer: Since I am still in the process of becoming a licensed clinician, the ways that I incorporate art into my work with clients would be therapeutically, but not yet considered “therapy.” I absolutely love working with collage and vision boards, creative writing and journaling, and art interpretation in general. One of the best activities I've seen involved working with (animal safe) art materials on a horse and using grooming the horse as a way to symbolically interact with the presenting emotions.

Question: What ways do you enjoy an 'artful life'?

Answer: Working at an art therapy studio has definitely opened my eyes wider to important creative space is to my own mental health and self-care! My apartment is loaded with coloring books, a large variety of markers and pencils, and I have even started experimenting with embroidery thread (which my cats LOVE to "help" with). I consider myself more crafty than artistic, so I love making time to play around with design and decoratives. Once I graduate my MSW program, I hope to be able to devote more time to writing -- keep an eye out for any children's books you may see from me in the future! ;)