Emily Halvorson

I have been greatly impacted by my journey through Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. As an individual and as an emerging art therapist, my growth has changed exponentially over the past three years. The tools and resources I have gained from this program have provided me with the skills and confidence to go out and find my place in this field. Through my new and ever-developing identity as an art therapist, I feel prepared to understand and support clients I work with in the future. With the support of the students and faculty members, I have been able to allow myself to emerge as an artist and an art therapist.  

My identity as an art therapist has become what it is by allowing art to be my safe space to examine myself in a way that I can’t do any other way. Art has become a way for me to process my everyday life and the lives of the clients I work with. It has given me the confidence to be vulnerable and allow myself to feel the emotions this kind of work can elicit. My artwork directly reflects how I transform my experiences into ones that will enable me to grow and find deeper meaning.  

My art has been a container for me to share my complex feelings, find hope and meaning in difficult situations and discover more about myself. My images are a collection of the moments within this program that I discovered more about myself or a client I was working with. Major themes that arose in my pieces were connection, nature and growth. I will continue to use my art and the knowledge I have gained to start my way into the field as an art therapist.