Art Therapy for Grief and Loss
in Gaithersburg, Maryland
When Words Are Not Enough
You’re carrying a weight that isn’t easily seen, and it can feel exhausting to keep holding it alone. You may find yourself wondering if things will ever feel okay again, or how much longer you can keep going without feeling overwhelmed or worn down.
You don’t need to carry this alone or try harder—you are already doing the best you can with what you’ve been carrying.
Explore Art Therapy for Grief and Loss
❥ Hello
I am an art therapist in private practice offering in-person art therapy for children, teens, and adults in Gaithersburg and Montgomery County, Maryland.
My work supports individuals navigating grief, loss, trauma, emotional overwhelm, and life transitions through a supportive, creative therapeutic process.
Art therapy offers a space to slow down, explore your experience, and express what may feel difficult to put into words. This is not about creating “good” art, but about reflection, meaning-making, and emotional understanding within a safe and collaborative therapeutic relationship.
You are welcome to begin where you are and move at a pace that feels supportive for you.
I specialize in art therapy for grief and loss in Gaithersburg and Montgomery County, supporting children, teens, and adults in reconnecting with themselves, building emotional safety, and processing experiences that feel too heavy or complex to express through words alone.
Explore Art Therapy for Grief and Loss
I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapist and Board-Certified Art Therapist (LCPAT, ATR-BC®).
If you would like to learn more or see whether this approach feels like a good fit, you are welcome to schedule a free 20-minute consultation call.
When words are not enough, what is art therapy?
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that integrates creative expression with conversation to support emotional healing, self-understanding, and personal growth.
You do not need artistic experience. The focus is not on creating “good” art, but on using art and the creative process to explore thoughts, emotions, and experiences that may be difficult to express with words alone.
Art therapy can support reflection, emotional clarity, and connection—especially during grief, loss, and life transitions.
Who I Help
I work with children (7–11), tweens (11–13), teens (13–18), and adults (19+) navigating:
Grief and bereavement
Complicated or prolonged grief
Trauma and emotional overwhelm
Anxiety related to loss or change
Identity shifts and life transitions
Family stress and adjustment challenges
Whether a child is learning to express big emotions, a teen is navigating identity and change, or an adult is carrying layered experiences of grief, art therapy offers a space to slow down, process, and reconnect with yourself.
Practice Philosophy
“Art is a wound turned to light.”
— Georges Braque
My approach and work as an art therapist are grounded in the belief that art therapy is a process of healing shaped by trust, compassion, and the capacity for growth.
The creative process offers a space for reflection, emotional understanding, and reconnection with self—especially when experiences feel difficult to put into words.
Painful experiences are not erased, but gently explored and integrated over time in ways that support greater meaning, clarity, and emotional connection.
Learn more about my APPROACH
How Art Therapy Helps with Grief & Loss
Grief can feel nonlinear, overwhelming, and difficult to express in words alone. Art therapy offers an alternative way to process grief and loss through creative expression.
Through art-making, individuals may explore emotions, honor memories, and make meaning from loss over time. Creative expression can support grounding, reflection, and emotional release when grief feels heavy or complex.
Art therapy can be especially helpful when grief is accompanied by disconnection, uncertainty, or difficulty adjusting to life changes.
Services: What I Help With
Grief Therapy
Support for bereavement, complicated grief, and loss-related life transitions.
Child & Adolescent Art Therapy
Support for children and teens processing grief, trauma, and emotional overwhelm.
Adult Therapy
Support for grief, trauma, identity shifts, and life transitions.
View Full Services
I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapist and Board-Certified Art Therapist (LCPAT, ATR-BC®).
If you would like to learn more or see whether this approach feels like a good fit, you are welcome to schedule a Free 20-minute Consultation Call.
FAQs
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that integrates creative expression with trauma-informed and grief-focused clinical care.
You do not need any artistic experience to participate. The focus is not on creating “good” artwork, but on using the creative process to explore emotions, experiences, and personal growth.
Art therapy can be especially supportive for individuals seeking help with grief and loss, trauma, anxiety, or life transitions, offering additional ways to process experiences that may be difficult to express through words alone.
Art therapists are mental health professionals with master’s-level training in art therapy and clinical practice. In Maryland, practitioners may be licensed as Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapists (LCPAT) or Licensed Graduate Professional Art Therapists (LGPAT), and may also hold national board certification such as ATR-BC®.
To learn more about the art therapy profession, you may visit the American Art Therapy Association.
How Can Art Therapy Help With Grief and Loss?
Grief can feel overwhelming, nonlinear, and difficult to express in words alone.
Art therapy provides a supportive space to process loss through creative expression, reflection, and therapeutic conversation. This can include exploring emotions, honoring memories, and making meaning from life changes over time.
Art therapy may also help when grief feels confusing, emotionally intense, or accompanied by disconnection from self, others, or daily life.
Learn more about ART THERAPY FOR GRIEF AND LOSS.
What Happens During An Art Therapy Session?
Each session is individualized and may include conversation, art-making, or both.
Some sessions involve guided prompts or art therapy directives, while others are open-ended creative exploration. You may work with drawing, painting, clay, collage, or other materials depending on your needs and comfort.
Art-making is used to support emotional expression, reflection, and insight. We also use verbal processing to help make sense of what emerges.
There is no “right way” to participate. Sessions are collaborative, paced according to your needs, and focused on emotional safety and meaning-making.
Learn more about SERVICES.
Do you offer traditional talk therapy?
Words absolutely have a place in art therapy! Art therapists use conversation, reflection, and focused discussion to help clients explore their experiences, gain insight, and process emotions. The balance between verbal discussion and creative expression depends on your goals, preferences, and therapeutic needs. While art-making and the creative process are foundational aspects of art therapy and are encouraged as valuable tools for self-expression and healing, I recognize that words are also an important part of finding and strengthening your voice. Together, we can use both creative expression and conversation to support your growth, self-understanding, and therapeutic goals.
Which ages do you work with? Do you only work with children and teens?
I work with children (7–11), tweens (11–13), teens (13–18), and adults (18+).
Art therapy supports emotional expression at all ages. No artistic experience is required.
For children and adolescents, creative expression can be especially helpful when emotions are difficult to put into words.
Art therapy can support healing, growth, and self-discovery at any stage. An adult who thinks, "I can only draw stick figures," that's perfectly okay. You do not need artistic talent or experience to benefit from art therapy. The focus is not on creating beautiful artwork, but on using the creative process to explore emotions, gain insight, and connect more deeply with yourself and others.
Do you offer in-person or virtual sessions?
I primarily offer in-person art therapy in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Virtual sessions are limited and generally reserved for specific circumstances, such as caregiver or parent sessions conducted separately from child or adolescent sessions.
Clients participating in virtual sessions must be physically located in Maryland at the time of service.
Art materials are the responsibility of the client, though recommendations can be provided if needed.
How long are art therapy sessions? How long is art therapy treatment?
Sessions are typically 53–60 minutes for individual therapy sessions, as well as for separate parent and caregiver sessions when included as part of treatment.
Frequency and length of treatment are individualized based on your needs, goals, and clinical considerations.
Are you in-network with insurance? What are your fees?
I am an out-of-network provider and do not bill insurance directly.
Fees are:
Initial Intake Session: $200
Ongoing Sessions (53–60 min): $150
A limited number of sliding-scale appointments are available based on financial need. A superbill can be provided for possible insurance reimbursement.
Clients may also find it helpful to use REMIMBURSIFY.
This is a free service for clients to use online that simplifies the process of submitting out-of-network claims for reimbursement. Reimbursify allows clients to submit claims electronically and track reimbursement status through their platform. I encourage you to contact your insurance provider directly to learn more about your out-of-network mental health benefits, deductible, reimbursement rate, and any authorization requirements that may apply. Reimbursement depends on your insurance plan and out-of-network benefits.
Where Are You Located?
101 Lake Forest Boulevard, Suite 400 & 404, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
How do I start? What can I expect in a free 20-minute consultation?
A free 20-minute consultation is an opportunity to discuss what brings you to art therapy and determine whether this approach feels like a good fit. If we decide to move forward, we will review next steps and begin intake and scheduling.
You can schedule by phone or email.
Secure Google Voice Phone: (301) 810-3926
Secure Work Email: lindsaykdowns.arttherapy@the3brushes.com
