If 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.

Rebecca is a licensed mental health counselor who earned her Masters degree in Art Therapy from Lesley University in 2010 and has since worked with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of settings.  Being well versed in a multitude of art mediums, Rebecca is able to utilize a combination of approaches in her art therapy work that best meets the needs of the individual. 

Madelene is a licensed mental health counselor, board-certified, registered art therapist, and artist with a Master's degree in Art Therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also works as an adjunct professor at Lesley University. In addition to children and families, Madelene also works with adolescents and adults with a diverse range of issues. Her areas of clinical expertise include: anxiety, depression, PTSD, racing thoughts, anger management, hyperactivity, bipolar disorder, group work and parenting support.

Al, a licensed independent social worker and a registered drama therapist, has worked with children and adults in various capacities over 20 years including: in-school counseling, Youth Fire-Setters, Emergency Service Professionals, Immigrants and specializes with children on the Autism Spectrum.

Lisa is an Expressive Arts Therapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She received her MA in Expressive Arts Therapy in 1993, and her training was focused on using the various arts modalities to assist others in exploring their issues, and expressing their feelings through the creative process. Lisa's professional experience has included working with a myriad of populations, including children and adults dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma, and addiction. Her professional specialties are sexual abuse and domestic violence. Lisa is also an adjunct faculty at Lesley University and Endicott College. Lisa is trained in both EMDR and DBT.  

Courtney is an expressive arts therapist and mental health counselor who earned her Masters degree in Expressive Arts Therapies and Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University in 2015. She began her clinical career at Children’s Friend and Family Services working with children, adolescents, and adults, providing individual, family, group, and couple’s counseling in an outpatient and community-health based setting.

Diane is a graduate of Lesley University with a MA in Mental Health Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapy. She has experience working with individuals who have lived experience with trauma recovery, substance use disorders, and mental health issues. Diane has worked as a classroom teacher and is familiar with the unique needs of children and families coping with mental health issues and emotional disabilities in schools.  In addition to using expressive arts in treatment, she is trained  in Trauma Informed Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Soul Collage®. Diane is an experienced group leader having facilitated groups for adult women survivors of sexual trauma, women with substance abuse, and expressive arts therapy groups for youth.

Laura is a licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, a national certified counselor, a board certified art therapist, as well as a certified school counselor and art teacher. Laura has nine years experience applying the arts as a therapeutic modality and offer meaningful creative experiences that foster strengths, empowerment, expression beyond words, and healing.

Danielle Jacobs, MA, is an Expressive Arts Therapist, Mental Health Counselor and 200-RYT Certified Yoga Instructor. She has been a yoga instructor for thirteen years and received a Master’s degree in Counseling with an Emphasis in Expressive Arts from William James College. Danielle has found yoga, mindfulness, journaling and art to be extremely healing forms of expression. Sharing her skills and guiding others into a safe space to explore, heal and grow is her intention..

This is the blog of The Artful Life Counseling Center and Studio, located on the beautiful North Shore of Massachusetts.

We are a group mental health practice, specializing in Expressive Arts Therapy. Here we post about the intersection between mental health and the arts, and creative approaches to health and wellness. We hope you enjoy this space and stay a while!

Allison is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Registered Art Therapist who earned an MA in Art Therapy from George Washington University in 2007. For more than a decade, Allison has worked with clients of all ages, individually and in Arts-Based Therapy Groups, to address challenging emotional, cognitive, and social issues through Art Therapy. Her specializations include: Trauma and PTSD, Anxiety and Depression, and Social or Communication difficulties. Allison is also trained in DBT.