Paris Courtney

I am an art therapy student at Lewis & Clark College, aiming to help queer people use art to heal. I am a white, gender-fluid, queer person, living with neurodiversity, and an invisible disability. I am passionate about creating a supportive, person-centered, environment to allow clients with similar lived experiences to work through difficult situations with art making. I believe art making can provide a mirror inward in a way that language does not always access. Through this art making I want to make space for deep emotional healing that can come up at any time. I aim to work with a trauma-informed, intersectional and non-judgemental framework to best allow for healing and growth. I am currently entering my third year of my master’s program at L&C as an art therapy student, with the goal of creating open art studio groups for queer and trans people. As a queer person, my focus area is working within the LGBTQIA+ community. I also have interests in supporting clients with practicing self-love and body neutrality. As an art therapist I hope to provide a warm environment to best support processing and healing through art making invitations.