When Art Becomes Support – My Journey from Painting to Art Therapy
I believe I was born an artist. But for a long time, I didn’t dare.
I didn’t really know how to start, I didn’t have the time, or the space.
And then one day, I simply did. I tried, I took the time, and something opened up.
Painting became my breath. A space of my own — simple and vital.
As I painted, I noticed changes in my life too: I grew more confident, and although doubt still visits me, it no longer freezes me. Creating helped me let go, release, and reconnect with myself.
What I love most is not the result — it’s the act itself. The gesture, the moment, the dialogue with the material. That’s where everything happens.
So I wanted to understand more deeply what creation awakens, soothes, and transforms.
And I decided to train.
Why Art Therapy
I didn’t want to rely on intuition alone.
I needed a clear, ethical framework to guide creative experiences safely.
Art therapy uses creation as a bridge between body and mind — a way to take care of oneself, to bring movement where things feel stuck, without having to explain everything in words. It connects the hand, the heart, and the spirit.
My Training and Accreditation
I trained with an institute accredited by IPHM (International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine).
This accreditation provides a professional and ethical framework for holistic practices.
It helps me structure my workshops while preserving the freedom and poetry of artistic expression.
What This Training Gave Me
- Practical tools to guide without directing
- Simple and respectful methods for every individual’s rhythm
- A clear posture: kindness, confidentiality, and zero judgment
- And above all, the certainty that these workshops truly make sense
What I’m Doing with It
I’m not becoming a “therapist” in a clinical sense.
I offer creative reconnection experiences, inspired by art therapy and open to everyone.
Formats
- Individual sessions at my studio in Ericeira
- Very small group sessions in a warm, friendly atmosphere
- Sessions in guesthouses, wellness spaces, or companies
The Experiences
- Painting / collage: free gestures, soft colors, layers and textures
- Clay work: grounding through touch, instinctive forms, letting the hands lead
- Short writing: a few words to express what arises, without performance
- Mandalas: gentle focus, repetitive shapes, quiet concentration
- Zentangle: simple lines and patterns to calm the mind through drawing
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Time Capsule: capturing a present moment to revisit later.
Keep a gentle trace of where you are, notice your evolution when reopening it, or offer it as a message to someone else. -
Release Capsule: putting down what weighs on you and transforming it.
Write or create something that represents what feels heavy.
Let it go — move from thought to gesture, and feel lighter.
For Whom
- For those who need a breath of air
- For sensitive souls who need a safe space to unwind
- For teams wanting to share a different, creative moment together
My Values
Simplicity, gentleness, joy — and humor when it’s needed.
I’m not looking for performance, but for what’s alive.
Everyone leaves with a little trace of themselves.
What’s Next
I’m launching these creative experiences in Ericeira and also on request elsewhere.
If you’d like to join, gather a small group, or invite me to your space, write to me.
Together, we’ll design a session that fits your needs and rhythm.
To learn more or join one of my creative experiences
discover MARY – Make Art Reconnect Yourself
We can’t change the past, but we can transform the matter of the present. — Lenon B