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NEXTGen Detroit Balance and We Need to Talk present Mindful Doodles: An Artistic Approach to Relaxation instructed by art therapist Ellen Smithey.

Whether you view yourself the creative type or not, there are many ways to benefit from art making when it comes to your mental health and wellbeing. In this workshop, art therapist and counselor Ellen Smithey, MA, ATR-P, will guide us through easy drawing and breathing methods that are helpful for inducing a state of calm and a sense of peace.

There is no cost to attend this event. Please register in advance online.

This event is co-hosted by NEXTGen Detroit Balance and Federation’s youth mental health initiative We Need to Talk, and is intended for doodlers of all ages.

Thank you to our amazing NEXTGen Detroit Balance co-chairs Michael Baum and Marni Lieberman.

Materials Needed
White, square piece of paper (printer paper will work just fine) and a black pen

About the Instructor
Ellen Smithey received her master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from George Washington University where she specialized in arts-based, trauma-informed approaches to counseling techniques and certified in Sand Tray Therapy. She utilizes intersectional, feminist-based approaches to psychotherapy while incorporating trauma-informed neuropsychology through somatic processing and attachment work. Ellen is highly involved in local and national social justice reform making difficult discussions feel open and easy to sort through intense feelings and thought patterns. Additionally, she offers workshops and writes articles progressing women’s rights, advocating for LGBTQIA+, and continuing the Black Lives Matter movement and antiracism work. Ellen provides a unique, creative, and collaborative approach to art therapy. To learn more about Ellen’s art therapy work, please visit ellensmithey.com and follow her on Instagram @ellenksmithey.

Questions? Contact Ashley Schnaar at schnaar@jfmd.org