Patricia MacAulay

I was well into my thirties when I fell in love with art making. Since then, I have gravitated towards painted, fibre-based, and mixed-media pieces that often reference and utilize rural arts practices such as quilt-making, rug hooking, and felting. I constantly seek ways to communicate my love for and connection to the land that sustains us. Now, I am moving towards more collaborative practices where meaning is created through discourse and interaction. (You can learn more at www.sweetpeacottage.ca.)

As I pursued my art practice, I became fascinated by the relationship between creation and healing. I eventually left the Island and headed to the west coast to become qualified in the practice of art therapy. While there, I worked with school-age children, unhoused youth, sex trade workers, and older adults with challenges related to substance abuse. Next, I moved to northern Canada where I served an Indigenous-led community, working on a broad range of issues, with a particular emphasis on healing from the traumatic effects of colonization. I also learned about approaches to art making that are woven with daily living and cultural identity and, in fact, serve as a key means of revitalizing individuals and communities.

Now, I am back on the Island where the days fly too quickly as I offer virtual therapy, supervise and teach other art therapists, and pursue my art practice. It is lovely to be home again. My time in the north has taught me that my safety and comfort has arisen from the hardships imposed upon this island’s rightful stewards, our Mi’kmaw neighbours, and I do not take that for granted.

I feel so fortunate to have enjoyed such rich experiences. I bring that wealth to every client session and blend it with all that you offer. Together, we co-create something unique, beautiful, and meaningful that can help sustain you through life’s losses and challenges.

My areas of focus are:

·      Child development

·      Parenting / caregiving

·      Women’s experiences

·      Socio-economic vulnerability

·      Family violence

·      Addictions

·      Isolation

·      Disability

·      Aging

·      Cross-cultural issues

·      Trauma. (acute, complex, developmental, vicarious, inherited, inter-generational)

·      Grief

·      Anxiety

·      Transitions

·      Self-image

Here are my educational qualifications:

·      Bachelor of Arts, Dalhousie University

·      Bachelor of Education, University of Prince Edward Island

·      Graduate Diploma, Vancouver Art Therapy Institute

·      Master of Art and Social Practice, University of the Highlands and Islands

I have completed additional training in sand play therapy, complex trauma, developmental trauma, somatic experiencing therapy, suicide prevention, and suicide risk assessment.

I am a Registered Art Therapist (Canadian Art Therapy Association) and a Registered Psychotherapist (College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario). I am comfortable with talk therapy and can easily incorporate arts processes within the therapy experience when clients wish to do so. We will look for your strengths and celebrate your gifts.