ARTrelief ™
expressive arts therapy & community wellness center
art making for emotional, physical, mental, spiritual & social health
OUR THERAPISTS
Keren Arroyo-Mora, MA, LCAT-P, ATR
keren@artrelief.info
Art Therapy Supervisor
Registered Art Therapist
MA, Mental Health Counselor
Fluent in Spanish
I hold a master's degree in Art Therapy and Creative Development, as well as a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and Art Education.
I work as a therapist and strive to create a calm and energetic environment for my clients, often utilizing humor to encourage reflection without judgment. I specialize in combining art therapy techniques with a strength-based approach to help clients build their resilience. My approach is person-centered, meaning that we will work together to develop new coping skills and increase self-awareness so that the client can live a fulfilling life based on their values.
Over the course of my 12 years as a teacher and more recently as an Art Therapist, I have gained experience working with children (ages 2-18), adults, and families. I have specifically worked with those who have experienced violence or domestic violence, providing individual and family therapy. I also have experience working with adults who are going through mid-crisis situations and addiction. My philosophy is that "the client is the expert of their narrative, and I'm here to support and provide you with psycho-education," informed by my background in teaching and person-centered approach. I am a strong believer in the healing power of art and the benefits of therapy in a person's life. I invite clients to sit with me and work together to find solutions that fit their unique situation.
Robin Beaudoin, MA, MHC-EXT
robin@artrelief.info
Certified Expressive Arts Therapist
MA, Mental Health Counselor
I am an expressive arts therapist with an educational background in clinical mental health counseling, expressive arts therapy, and creative writing. Having worked primarily with youth and young adults in outpatient, residential, and (therapeutic) school-based settings, I approach therapy with a systems-level understanding of multiple barriers that many vulnerable populations face in their communities.
The transformative nature of play and expressive arts can challenge large-scale social inequity, but it is most effective in my work both as a tool for processing, coping with, and managing difficult emotions or experiences and as a method for discovery and engagement. I promote client-led and strengths-based approaches to modalities like collaging, zine-making, roleplaying, improvisation, and others and incorporate skills-based therapies like CBT/DBT, narrative therapy, and parts work that pair well with these creative styles.
In addition to the creative arts, I have clinical interests in harm reduction and transformative justice within the therapeutic space and in the context of community, sexual and reproductive health education, neurodiversity, and queer identity. My goals with individuals and families across all ages lie in collaboration and advocacy, promoting equity and liberation, and to always remain a curious and playful campaigner of joy.
Calina Bobis, MA, MT-BC
MA, Music Therapy
Board Certified Music Therapist
MA Candidate, Marriage and Family Therapy
Fluent in Romanian
I’m a music therapist with a lifelong passion for the transformative power of music. My journey began as a classical pianist, and for many years, that was how I connected with the world. I later became drawn to the deeper emotional and human aspects of music — how it can heal, communicate, and create connection — and that path led me to music therapy.
I’m a Board-Certified Music Therapist with additional certification in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) and experience at the Nordoff-Robbins Center. I take a music-centered, person-centered, and strengths-based approach, always focusing on holistic, trauma-informed, and family-centered care. I'm passionate about supporting and empowering both individuals and their loved ones through music.
I also see music as a powerful and unique community builder. Whether you're singing with strangers at a live concert or improvising with someone you just met, music creates moments of connection that transcend language and background. It reminds us that we’re not alone, and that we can find belonging and understanding through sound.
I'm thrilled to be part of the ARTrelief team as a Music Therapist and look forward to meeting each individual who walks through my door. It’s a gift to collaborate in exploring how music can support your goals, enrich your life, and help you connect more deeply with your own voice. Together, we will co-create a space that feels safe, joyful, and full of possibility.
Amanda Bysheim, MA, MHC, MT-BC
amanda@artrelief.info
MA, Mental Health Counselor
Board Certified Music Therapist
I am a Board Certified Music Therapist. I received a masters degree in mental health counseling with a specialization in music therapy, as well as a bachelors degree in music technology with a focus in vocal performance. While voice is my primary instrument, I also have experience with guitar, piano, xylophone, world drums, and digital audio software such as Protools, Logic, and Soundtrap. In addition to music, I also have a passion for visual art, knitting, crocheting, dancing, coloring, paper crafts, and more. I have worked with clients of varying ages and diagnoses, in both outpatient and more intensive, in-home settings. I work from a holistic, person-centered, strengths-based, and trauma-informed lens to meet clients where they are at and provide a supportive space on their healing journey. From a young age, I have learned to utilize music to navigate life’s various challenges, hardships, and trauma and would be honored to pass this knowledge on to my clients. Music provides an excellent space to express emotions from a safe distance, provide expression for emotions you may not have words for, and help create new ways to cope with the stress of life. “When words fail, music speaks.” - Hans Christian Andersen.
Diana Lezama, M.Ed, MHC-ATR-P
Provisional Registered Art Therapist
M.Ed, Mental Health Counselor
Valerie Abrigo Rivera, LMHC, YTT-200
valerie@artrelief.info
Clinical Supervisor
LMHC, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Reiki Level-I Certified, CMA-Certified Sound Healer
Fluent in Spanish
I hold a Master of Arts degree in mental health counseling with a dance therapy specialization, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance with a ballet emphasis. From my own experiences as a dancer, I value the feelings of community, empowerment, and joy that can be fostered through moving with others, and I seek to provide similar experiences for others.
I have experience working with children, adolescents, and families in a variety of childcare and educational settings, including outpatient clinics, residential facilities, after-school programs, and a therapeutic day school. I also have experience with facilitating expressive arts programming for adults with developmental disabilities. I operate with an understanding that felt senses of safety and trust on a deep and body-based level, and I seek to empower clients through a strengths-based and relational approach that includes and values the whole being.
I have received a
Aishwarya Shridhar, M.S.
aishwarya@artrelief.info
M.S., Mental Health Counselor
M.A., Social Work: Community Organization & Development Practice
Fluent in Hindi and Tamil (Spoken Fluently)
After several years of experience working with understanding the needs of diverse populations as a researcher, I got my degree in Mental Health Counseling with the goal of improving the mental health of members of our community while maintaining their individuality and self-expression. The use of expressive arts in therapeutic ways has always been of interest to me, and my own experiences as a dancer have me believe in the transformative power of art. I aim to integrate the use of various forms of counseling approaches such as CBT, Narrative therapy, and Motivational Interviewing along with creative tools. I like to be flexible in my use of approaches, trying to find what works best in the moment for my clients and their needs. I also believe in the importance of cultural diversity as a crucial aspect of any approach and the therapeutic value it can offer. My main goal is to come to a deep understanding of the client and their world and help them use the tools and strengths they possess within themselves to overcome challenges.
My childhood was filled with creativity. The arts were the constant thread helping me along through the good and the more difficult times in life.
I strive to help children, adolescents, and adults feel safe and empowered to explore their thoughts and feelings. I am open to incorporating any of the expressive arts in my work, play and nature therapy, mindfulness practices as well as "talk therapy". I use a trauma-informed, person-centered and strengths-based approach. Some of my clinical areas of interest include grief, anxiety, self-esteem, and inherited trauma.
I trained and worked at McLean Hospital with adults in inpatient units living with anxiety, depression, and psychotic disorders.
Prior to becoming a therapist, I was an elementary school art teacher for twenty years. Throughout my teaching career, I learned about the healing potential of the arts. I found that children and adolescents often worked through stresses or traumas in their artwork. I have a bachelor’s degree in studio art, a master’s degree in elementary education, and a master’s degree in mental health counseling with a specialization in expressive arts therapy. In addition, I am a visual artist, singer-songwriter, and mother of two. I enjoy decorating and organizing spaces, spending time in the woods and by the sea, painting, dancing, and writing.
In the words of Cathy Malchiodi, expressive arts therapist and trauma specialist, “When words are not enough, we turn to images and symbols to tell our stories. And in telling our stories
through art, we find pathways to wellness, recovery, and transformation.”
Christina Schell, MA, MHC-EXT
christina@artrelief.info
Certified Expressive Arts Therapist
MA, Mental Health Counselor
Emma Hatch, MA, MHC-DMT
MA, Mental Health Counselor
and Dance/Movement Therapist
Throughout our life, we feel a range of emotions, we experience hardship and we think about the internal and external complexities of the world. It’s a lot! It can be challenging to rely on words as our only language when trying to explain how we are feeling. I believe connecting to our authentic self through different forms of creative expression can develop empowerment, personal growth and foster self love within us. As an art therapist and mental health counselor, I focus on the personal strengths you already have along with providing new skills through psychoeducation. My education and training consists of a masters of education degree in Art Therapy/Counseling and a bachelors degree in Fine Arts in Fashion Design. I have experience working with youth and adults within addiction and recovery treatment, inpatient and outpatient facilities. I also have experience working as a fashion and textile designer, seamstress and sewing instructor.