Charmaine Husum, RTC, DKATI, CT
Registered Therapeutic Counsellor/ Art Therapist
Calgary AB
Before beginning a therapeutic relationship with a client, it is most important to create safety within that relationship and ensure that we are a fit. If we are meeting online, it is also important that you have a safe and private space to explore your feelings. We start with a 15-30 minute free consultation over the phone for you to ask me any questions and give me a sense of what you are needing.
Our first session begins with a discussion on how you are feeling and moves into a warm up using simple art making. You do not need to be an artist to do art therapy, quite the opposite. After a quick warm up, I invite you to move into a brief meditation or mindfulness activity to help to ground and become more connected to the inner wisdom your body holds. You then begin to create in whatever way feels right for you using whatever materials you are drawn to. Another option is for me to guide you in a specific art directive, to further explore an issue or problem we have already discussed.
Our sessions are never rigid and can move into a variety of areas quickly if that is where your subconsciousness chooses to go. As we trust the process, there is safety in knowing that you will never bring anything up that cannot be handled in the moment.
Using art in session allows you to work from an unconscious place, allowing whatever is present to move to the surface. Feelings from within the body and mind move to the page or art in front of you. Once feelings become moved outside of the body, we are able to take a better look at things with a different perspective.
Depending on one's world view, I find it especially effective to connect to an energy larger than one's self. This may be a departed loved one, source energy, angels, guides or whatever spirit and energy feels appropriate. During psychedelic integration, connecting to the powerful spirit of the plant medicine becomes a strong support to help guide you.
My personal and professional life has followed a path of creativity, hard work and social justice through my life.
I feel fortunate to have had art and creativity be such a large part of my journey and now as an Art Therapist and Counsellor, I revel in how this modality works to change and support the lives of others. Since being a child, art was my go to for emotional support and well being when life was difficult. Leaving home at 14 and being in the foster care system myself, brought on many challenges. It was art and writing poetry that really supported me to be who I am today. I am grateful to now be in a position to help others using these strong modalities for healing. The core belief I hold, that obstacles and struggles in life can lead to deep growth and learning, has become validated by my own personal journey.
Before pursuing my dream of accreditation as an Art Therapist and Counsellor, I worked in television and on feature films as an artist, painting scenery and props (www.sceniccharms.com). In this role of heightened creativity and fast pace, I became acutely aware of the power creativity has in shifting the path, direction and energy of a project to either succeed or fail. What I saw was that when people were engaged creatively, magic was made.
My private Art Therapy and Counselling practice (Centre of the Heart) is on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut'ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, and the Métis people of Calgary Alberta, Canada. Here I see clients in person and online both regionally and internationally. I am also an Artist, Kundalini Yoga teacher and trained in the somatic approach of Integrative Body Psychotherapy and Reiki.
My current research enthusiasms are in neuroplasticity, neuroscience, epigenetics, mystical/ psychedelic integration and intergenerational trauma; on which I'm currently writing a book and creating online courses and programs.
I currently offer online self-paced programs for psychedelic /mystical experience integration. In these programs, we use sacred geometry, dreamwork, kundalini meditation, art therapy and journaling to help make sense of what you went through in your experience to integrate the benefits into your life for lasting change.
I am currently working on other programs to help those experiencing anxiety, depression and working through trauma.
I offer programs on working through creative blocks using art therapy and sacred geometry.
I offer integration circles post ceremony at retreats here in Canada, Hawaii, Mexico and Peru using meditation and art making.
Aside from the courses I offer, I meet clients one to one (online and in person )to help support and heal from a variety of mental health issues and create internal tools to support your growth and healing.
Please visit my website and sign up to my email list to get updates on new programs I'm currently working on. www.centreoftheheart.com