Art Therapy
In-person appointments in Yardley, PA
At Milestone Counseling and Wellness, we offer the services of art therapy. Art therapy is the use of art materials in a therapy session, with a structured prompt or freedom to create, to communicate emotions that may be difficult to verbalize. Through art therapy, the process of art making is more important than the product. As you practice art therapy in session with an art therapist, you begin to develop another coping skill that can be used outside of therapy sessions. The goal of creative arts expression is for a therapeutic healing process.
Art therapy is beneficial for all people, not just those who are interested in art making. It’s a therapeutic process that’s especially helpful for difficult life events like trauma, divorce, death, and more. Through the use of art making and talk therapy, a balance between verbal and non-verbal expression of these difficult experiences creates the ability to heal.
An art therapist is trained with a graduate education in counseling psychology, art materials and their potentials, and human development to help guide you through the expression of non-verbal communication with art making. Art as therapy is a tool you will learn alongside an art therapist to bring art into your emotional processing outside of therapy sessions.
Victoria Vilk, LPC ATR-BC
Hi, my name is Victoria but everyone calls me Tori! I’m a Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I’ve worked as an art therapist, art educator, yoga instructor, and graduate assistant at a college. All of my training has influenced building a practice with a holistic view of therapy – using the mind, body, and soul as part of the therapeutic process. Specifically, I bring solution-focused goals to therapy for behavioral changes that are beneficial for long-term wellbeing. I work with individuals to improve their self-esteem, confidence in themselves and their relationships, and heal from past experiences. If you’re struggling with body image issues, feeling like you can’t fail or have to be perfect all the time, and can’t express your needs to others – I’m the therapist for you.
Brenna Kelley, MS ATR-P
Hi I’m Brenna! I am a master’s level clinician and certified provisional Art Therapist (ATR-P). I currently work with a variety of ages but work best with children (ages 4-12) and adolescents (ages 13-18). I have experience working with a variety of diagnoses such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder, as well as with those that have experienced grief and loss, trauma, anxiety, and depression. With my previous role specifying in behavioral health, I have extensive experience with the use of token boards, positive/negative consequences/reinforcements, and ABC data to find the root of behaviors and find solutions that best suit families. I specialize in transferring skills to families to aid in home life and create the best possible outcomes for the therapeutic experience.