Katie Mullaney
Online & In-Person
Art Therapist
Buffalo, New York
License 001657-1
www.createspacebuffalo.comAbout Katie
I believe that everyone has the power within them to create positive shifts in the way one experiences and expresses their emotions, in turn creating positive shifts and experiencing their world around them. My intention is to help you uncover your power.
I have worked as an Art Therapist since 2009 in the mental health and substance abuse fields. Most recently, I have worked in an acute psychiatric hospital setting for the past 9yrs and have been in private practice for 5yrs. I am proud to have assisted 2 organizations in developing their first Art Therapy programs.
In private practice I work mainly with adults who struggle with anxiety and/or depression. We practice mindfulness and somatic awareness skills together with art therapy to minimize the barriers that anxiety and depression create in my client's lives.
Office Location
Costs and Insurance
$125 per session
Out of Pocket
What's your experience with clients with anxiety?
I have worked with individuals struggling with anxiety and Panic for 13 yrs and have seen a range of people from feeling helped by implementing a self-care routine (without medication), to of course managing with medication, to needing hospitalization due to not functioning at home.
What I offer that can create positive results:
*Mindfulness practices to remind your brain to refocus on the present moment. You mind can only focus on one thing. If it is focused on the present, it cannot be reliving the past or worrying about the future. Your body follows where your mind is. Staying in the present moment is really effective in decreasing activation in your body from anxiety.
*Somatic Awareness to name how the anxiety presents itself in the body (your body) through physical symptoms. By knowing your emotions this way we can more easily recognize when we shift into that emotion (identify triggers) as well as what actions help to deactivate or balance that emotion (coping skills).
*Art Therapy to reflect our inner world, into something we can see. This allows us to make new observations and process our experience in a different way than talk therapy can offer.
Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?
Like a lot of people, I knew that I needed support for years but never took action. I was in my mid-twenties when I tried therapy for the first time and experienced a transformational shift in the way I felt about myself and about my life as a whole. I believe everyone has the power within them to heal. It is tough work but it is much easier to do when you have the right support. I experienced it myself, and I feel driven to give back and be that support for others.
For people that are hesitant to try therapy, what do you wish you could tell them?
Have you thought to yourself you should have started a while ago? That's your instincts at work. Your body and mind know something is off. The power to create change and heal is all within you. A therapist is just your guide to help you uncover that. It's not without hard work sometimes, but believe me you are worth it. The result is you being happy with yourself and enjoying your life again. That is worth it. You'll be glad you started this time.
What's your experience with clients with depression?
I have worked with individuals struggling with depression for 13 yrs and have seen a range of people from feeling helped by implementing a self-care routine (without medication), to of course managing with medication, to needing hospitalization for self-harm or suicidal thoughts or attempts.
What I offer that can create positive results:
*Mindfulness practices to remind your brain to refocus on the present moment and to let go of self-criticisms.
*Somatic Awareness to reconnect with emotions we may have not connected with (or blocked out) for some time - and teach our brain and body to feel safe in experiencing these emotions.
*Art Therapy to reflect our inner world, into something we can see. This allows us to make new observations and process our experience in a different way than talk therapy can offer.
What does a typical session with you tend to look like?
I incorporate mindful meditation, somatic awareness and making expressive/reflective art in almost all of my sessions. I find it to be a powerful practice to take a mindful pause to "check-in" with yourself just by observing what is present in your body and allowing your body to inform you of your current state of being. Notice how you are impacted by what is going on in your current world, and/or what energy you have been carrying around with(in) you (sometimes for months or even years). My clients explore this by creating visual reflections of what they observe, of their thoughts, behaviors, habits, and how they are experiencing emotions physically in their body.
Interested in talking?
(716) 427-8398Office Location
Costs and Insurance
$125 per session
Out of Pocket
Specialties
Anger Management
Anxiety
Depression
Spiritual or Religious
Stress
Approaches
Art Therapy
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Expressive Arts
Integrative
Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)