MEET THE FOUNDER
Reyhane Namdari is a therapist, specialized in paediatric mental health. She studied art therapy at Concordia University and founded Montreal Art Therapy Centre shortly after graduation in 2012. Later on, she studied School/Applied Child Psychology at McGill University to broaden her understanding of children’s mental health needs, psycho-educational assessments and reports, and early childhood interventions. Montreal Art Therapy Centre offers a combination of all of these services to clients in Montreal, Pointe-Claire, and Brossard.
Montreal Art Therapy Centre turned from a dream to a team of expert child therapists who offer their services in three locations in Montreal, West Island, and Brossard. The team of therapists have an extensive clinical background, with knowledge of art therapy, play therapy, sensory-motor therapy, CBT, mindfulness, and solution-focused approaches. We are proud to offer our specialized services not just to our younger citizens but to adults and families as well.
Montreal Art Therapy is also proud to provide therapy services to First Nations of Cree, Inuits, and Mohawk population. Our therapists are also providing mental health services to Indigenous Peoples under the Jordan’s Principal Fund.
You can book an online art therapy appointment here.
To find out about our in-person appointments in Montreal, West Island, or Brossard, contact us here.
Art Therapy is the combination of creative expression and the introspective nature of Psychology, creating a new and different way to learn about oneself. Through art therapy, the simplest artistic activities such as painting, drawing, or dancing can provide a different perspective to understand the complex issue(s) that someone may be facing.
Art therapy can be offered in an individual or a group format. In an individual art therapy session, the art therapist identifies the client’s needs, helps the client set therapeutic goals, and develops appropriate intervention plans to help the client achieve their goals. In Group Art Therapy, an art therapist can observe an individual produce art to express themselves and have that individual watch other people do the same thing. This allows the individual to understand the perspective of their peers and (consciously or unconsciously), develop them into a better version of themselves, with a stronger understanding of their emotions and thoughts.
Regardless of artistic ability, the benefits of art therapy, in the presence of an art therapist, can be very helpful. An individual’s creative expression can deal with complex ideas, emotions, or experiences to overcome what once caused them mental or physical harm.
The benefits of Art Therapy as an intervention method for individuals with mental health disorders have been studied more than before in the last decade. Individuals with ADHD often struggle with attention, emotion regulation, stress and anxiety management, and task management, among other executive functions. Oftentimes, there is also a comorbidity with other disorders (such as a Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and this could cause difficulty in performing daily functions (academically, socially, and professionally) in their life.
Through Art Therapy, individuals with ADHD would learn adaptive skills to adequately communicate their emotions and thoughts, develop skills to regulate their emotions, and become more mindful of their self (time and space). After all, some people are stronger visual learners, which Art Therapy uses to allow individuals to showcase their issue(s) through a different and more unique form of communication.
Ultimately, everyone will experience individual differences regarding the effects of Art Therapy. Despite the wide application and qualitative nature of art as therapy, it considerably has more benefits than issues and is worth attempting as a means to an end. Moreover, Art Therapy improves interpersonal skills like patience and concentration which people with ADHD find difficulty maintaining.
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