Integrating Arts & Healing
At Clinica Artesana, we take a bottom-up approach to healing. We encourage clients to explore a past, present and future narrative through the mind-body connection in efforts of building an authentic relationship with themselves.
Our mission
We are continuously committed to improving the mental health and well-being of first-generation individuals, advocating for a more holistic, inclusive, mind-body approach to healthcare. We promote and support trauma healing through expressive therapies so they can deepen their relationship with themselves to lead a more authentic life.
Why Artesana?
Clínica Artesana is our founder’s brain child. In efforts of staying grounded in her roots, Priscilla’s first goal was to name her business in Spanish. It is one small move amongst her own decolonization process as a first generation Latina American. The name Artesana hits home because she grew up with several people in her family being artisans, musicians, or other artists of sorts. "Artesana" means artisan in Spanish. “Arte sana,” spelt separately, can be either: "Art heals" or "healthy art" - depending which syllables you emphasize. We love a good play on words!
To Priscilla, the arts and wellness have never lived separately. Growing up, she relied on the skills she learned from her family to cope through these difficult times. She continues to use this sense of play and creative expression in her adult life.
Through Clínica Artesana LLC, she has weaved in her worldview of the arts as healing with a clinical background in mental health counselling.
What we stand behind
Heal Through The Arts
We embrace the arts as a mode for psychotherapeutic intervention. We offer nonverbal and verbal approaches for clients to have choices in their path to healing. The arts offer diverse and inclusive forms of expression and knowledge.
Self, Others, and the Environment
While we are not experts in climate change, we know mother nature is crying. At Clinica Artesana LLC we believe in the interconnectedness of us all. The well-being of self, others and the environment are a common thread. When we take care of each other and ourselves, we can create culture of healing.
Decolonization of self-care
We acknowledge the institution of therapy supports a capitalist structure on native land. That there are many broken systems that are fuelling oppression in America. Taking time to acknowledge the systems, increasing space for reconstruction, and taking action is part of healing.
What Makes Us Different?
Priscilla, Christine & Kelvin are first-generation Americans whose parents came here as young adults to pursue "the American dream". As adjunct professors and speakers on various topics, they teach their students and their audiences that human development and daily functioning are not as linear as the Eurocentric lens would imply. They have witnessed on a personal level physical, mental, and emotional suffering, globally and nationally. This has allowed them to recognize the different ways in which trauma can present, and establish diversification in treatment by designing detailed individualized goals for their clients. Their application of culturally sensitive assessments and interventions relate to the client's experiences.
Their creative integration of the arts, therapy, and education invites you to choose how you want to engage and discover. Due to the diversity of people they have provided care to while utilizing the arts, they are confident that the incorporation of expressive therapies is vital for the process of healing to occur.
Why Expressive Therapy?
Expressive therapy goes beyond traditional talk therapy. We use the arts to expand choice, learning new routes to heal old paths.
Words, while powerful and valuable, are not always the first, (or only way) to express ourselves. Choice is a privilege. We want to give as many choices of expression as possible to able to feel and heal our authentic self.
Benefits of Therapy
From art to music, movement to theatre and painting to poetry. Expressive therapies gives life to impactful results. For example:
Develop life-long coping skills to manage stress, anxiety, and more
Improve communication + interpersonal skills
Boost self-esteem, confidence, and self-image
Feel empowered in who you are and what you want
Be in full alignment with your mind and body, strengthening a sense of self
Meet The Counselors at Clinica Artesana
One of my favorite questions I get as a therapist is "is this normal?”.
An internal light builds for me when I hear this question, because I think it opens the opportunity to discuss the complexity of human beings. What's normal to you might be different from what's normal to me, and that's not always a bad thing. It might not be wrong or right, just different. Here's where we can look at intersecting identities and healing the whole self. This is just a piece of what I'm talking about when I refer to decolonizing self-care. With my clinical lens and holistic approaches, I can further support the process of differentiating what is simply unique to you, versus what is pathology. With this you don't need to wait until you feel “bad" to go to therapy. If you have that inkling of wanting to talk to a third party resource, I say go for it!
A note from our founder, Priscilla
A collection of our favourite things, including tools, books, resources, and products to help you in your healing journey.
At Clinica Artesana, we believe that when we take the time to heal, others heal around us as well. Solid boundaries, especially with yourself, can lead to great prosperity in relationships.
You Don’t Have To Do This Alone. We Are Here To Help.
