My Work

eclectic. collaborative. informed.

I attained my Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Industrial Psychology from the University of Witswatersrand, South Africa, and began an Honours degree in Creative Writing from York University, Toronto, when we first immigrated to Canada.  But I decided that I wanted to change directions and qualified as an Art Therapist from the Toronto Art Therapy Institute.  I am also a Registered Psychotherapist through the CRPO.

As an artist and therapist, I am committed to ongoing professional development and collaboration with other professionals. I participated in the 2010 International Summer School of Narrative Practice in Toronto, Canada, co-hosted by Dulwich Centre, Australia, Narrative Therapy Centre of Toronto and Oolagen Community Services; I presented on both the Baycrest Project and my Art Therapy work on Anaphylaxis and Anxiety.

My thesis work entitled anaphylaxis through the eyes of a child was displayed at  Sick Kids and Mackenzie Health Hospitals to educate the public and staff about food allergies, and to allow them to gain a deeper understanding of what anaphylaxis actually feels like to a child.

I have presented my Art Therapy work in Sintra, Portugal, at a conference on story-telling in therapy, and was invited back, but the conference was postponed due to the Coronavirus.  

I am passionate about what I do, working with both individuals and groups - virtually at the moment.  I truly believe that my motto "making the invisible visible" encapsulates everything I do, both personally and professionally.  In therapy, we explore what is most often unseen, making sense of it, and transforming it into something that is now accessible and easier.  My clients continually inspire me and allow me to witness first-hand the remarkable wisdom, beauty and capacity for growth of the human spirit.

My Background

diverse. supportive. professional.

ONLINE ONLY - due to the coronavirus

Private Practice  Art therapy and psychotherapy for adults and children 
L'Arche Daybreak   Online individual and group art therapy and psychotherapy sessions 
​Support Groups  Online art therapy groups to support individuals, frontline workers, and support staff 

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IN PERSON  (previously)

Jerome D. Diamond Adolescent Centre, Toronto  Lisa offers art therapy groups for youth experiencing psychological, behavioural and academic challenges; re-empowering them to competently return to the mainstream
L'Arche Daybreak, Richmond Hill 'The Club' weekly group for staff and adults with developmental disability; art therapy with clients with developmental disability; 
MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie  Art therapy group for 22 adults with developmental disability
Private Practice, Thornhill  Art therapy and psychotherapy for adults and children; groups for children with anaphylaxis
Thornhill Woods PS, Thornhill   Taught expressive arts program for children in grades 1-8; assisted with school art murals; facilitated collaborative social activism project between grade 7 students and elderly Baycrest residents
Drewry Secondary School, Toronto   Art therapy groups for students with multiple exceptionalities, developmental delay, physical, hearing, and other disabilities
Art City, Toronto   Art therapy groups for immigrant youth; some with a history of abuse
Wellsprings Cancer Centre, Niagara   Open art therapy group for patients in all stages of disease and recovery
Rainbow of Hope Camp, Ontario   Art therapy program for children who'd experienced abuse
Sir Maximillian Kolbe Catholic School, Aurora   Weekly art therapy group for grade 9 students with special-needs – learning disabled and vision impaired
Gardiner Project, Toronto   Collaborative art therapy project and Art exhibition with Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic and Gardiner Ceramics Museum – for women who had experienced violence, abuse, trauma
BOOST, Toronto   Family art therapy sessions to allow mother and children to reconnect in positive ways after a long history of abuse

Myself

compassionate. intuitive. insightful.

I have always been driven by a burning desire to help others and to propagate meaningful change in the world. Art Therapy provides the perfect medium for this by combining my skills as a compassionate and empathetic listener; my creative talents as an artist and writer; and my passion for justice and equity. 

I have always passionately involved myself in community initiatives, volunteer work, charitable activities, and advocacy. Notable initiatives include:

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• Co-founding the African Oracle Support Group – a not-for-profit organization providing education and support on issues of racism and apartheid;
• Project Magic – a collaboration between professional magicians and therapists to teach magic as therapy to aid recovery of children suffering from brain injury and arthritis and to increase self-esteem;
• Food Allergy Canada – writer for newsletter, ardent activist, and office volunteer
• Recipient – Ontario Volunteer Service Awards, Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Ontario Volunteer Service Award for over 10 years of advocacy work for Anaphylaxis Canada
• Canadian Transportation Agency – extensive involvement and consultation regarding travel and    human rights issues for passengers with disabilities, with the philosophy of empowering deaf, deafblind and disabled people worldwide, promoting inclusion through awareness, education, and personal empowerment
  

I have written and published numerous articles on mental health, anaphylaxis, published poetry in South Africa and Canada, and I am working on my third novel.  I live happily with my husband, three children, three dogs, and a parrot who doesn’t talk. ​