I'm a queer woman (she/her), first generation Ukrainian-American immigrant, and an artist of many forms.
Expressing myself creatively has always felt natural. As a child, I would scribble pictures of my family, write stories about my dreams, and put on productions in the living room as a way to connect with others around me. But as I grew up, creativity became more about being "the best" and making "good work". My own perfectionism mixed with the social pressure to be the best at everything made me fall out of love with creativity.
By college, my mental health crumbled under the pressures of becoming an adult, and I found myself experiencing debilitating panic attacks and unexplainable physical ailments. I came face to face with the reality of trauma stored in my body, and realized the arduous path of healing from decades of trauma was the only path forward.
Through therapy, I learned I could create meaning from difficult moments, recover my purpose and feel freedom and joy in a way I never had before. I decided to become an Expressive Arts Therapist to help others reclaim the stories of their lives, and began pursuing my M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapy from Lesley University in 2016, and haven't looked back.
