The Artful Life

Meet The Intake Coordinator: Jen Spanedda Jen at the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland (Outside of work, she is an avid traveler!) 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. 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 r...

Meet The Therapist: Rebecca A. Perry, LMHC, ATR 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.  Clinically, Rebecca is committed to supporting the individual from a holistic point and adapting to the needs of the client.  Having worked with individuals from a wide range of settings, she is mindful of the impact of one’s environment and circumstances on both the issues at hand and how best to address them.  This could range from working in the visual arts, to music, movement, play therapy, and a variety of other approaches.  In addition, she works to empower the person to gain a sense of agency over their own life and feel c...

Meet The Therapist: Madelene Pario, LMHC, ATR-BC 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. ​Madelene is trained in cognitive behavioral trauma-focused therapy for children (TF-CBT), and is a Level One Certified Trauma-Informed Art Therapist. She is also trained in both DBT and EMDR, a treatment used to help with trauma and phobias.  She uses an eclectic approach, incorporating her skills in Art Therapy with Positive Psychology, Focusing, Mindfulness and DBT to treat a diverse range ...

Meet The Therapist: Alfred (Al) Vautour, MSW LICSW, RDT 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. As an artist and as a clinician Al is committed to the central place of play, drama and story in the lives of his clients. He strives to assist individuals in accessing their stories through play and drama, always looking toward their existing strengths and emerging skills to bring about solutions to their challenges. Though specializing in Drama Therapy, his work is supported and informed by the wide use of expressive arts therapies and as such strives to pair the best modalities to the needs of his clients. Al is also a DBT trained therapist. Question: How did you get into this field? Answer:   I entered my undergraduate...

Meet The Therapist: Lisa Silveria, MA 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.   Question: How did you get into this field? Answer:   I've always loved the arts, and had been involved in music and drama activities. I had a BA in psychology, and was working at an alternative school for teens when I had the opportunity to meet and observe the work of the expressiv...

Meet The Therapist: Courtney Miranda, LMHC 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. In this clinical setting, she provided a multi-disciplinary approach of combining holistic, intermodal, creative modalities, with CBT, DBT, narrative, mindfulness, strength-based and person-centered care. She specializes in supporting and providing care for an array of presenting problems/concerns: mental health related issues, trauma-informed care/response, women’s/girl’s issues, depression, anxiety, family systems, cultural competency, grief/loss, self-identity development, self-exploration/growth, communication is...

Meet The Therapist: Diane Larochelle, MA 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. Diane engages clients through an attitude of empowerment and education, understanding that clients hold valuable information and insight into their needs and dreams. Combini...