Alyssa believes that meaningful personal and social change can be trauma-informed, healing-centered, and focused on collective liberation. She is an educator, art therapist and licensed counselor, and consultant in private practice. Alyssa integrates tenets of cultural humility, liberation psychology, somatic engagement, and a sense of playfulness in her diverse roles and global experiences. Her work and learning spans from coast to coast in the United States and in communities around the globe.
She is trained in EMDR therapy, holds multiple certificates in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and integration, has completed 500 hours of yoga teacher training, and uses sensorimotor art therapy practices in her teaching and clinical practices. She develops experiential international programming for clinical counseling programs, with a focus on collaboration, cultural humility, and attention to indigenous practices that support healing and wellness around the world.
She takes her work seriously, but believes that an equal measures of levity and depth is what creates sustainability in praxis.
Teaching Faculty
Creative Arts Therapies Seattle, AU School of CPT
Adjunct Faculty and Prior Learning Evaluator
AU Undergraduate Studies
Drama Therapy
Creative Arts Therapy
School of Applied Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy
- PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, Antioch University, Seattle, WA, in process
- Certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy and Research, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA
- Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies PBC, Certificate in MDMA Therapy
- Master of Arts in Counseling, Antioch University, Seattle, WA
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
“Teaching at Antioch gives me the chance to integrate and share so many of my personal and professional values. From engaging social justice dialogue, to creative introspection, to transformative international travel; I am able to support the learning process of incredible students with fascinating backgrounds as they develop into competent counseling professionals.”
Creative Art Therapies, Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy and Research, Clinical Counseling
Presenter, Duwamish Tribal Council, Seattle, WA 2023
• “A Liberation Based Approach to Counseling Duwamish Tribal Members”
Presenter, Art as Liberation, West Coast Art Therapy Collective 2022
• “Creative Arts Resourcing for Anti-Racism”
Presenter, Social Justice Symposium, Seattle WA 2022
• “Ethics in the Threshold: Serving with Integrity in Liminal Spaces”
• “The Laser and the Lantern: Expressive Arts Tools for Shifting Perspective”
Facilitator, Pura Vita Yoga, Whidbey Island, WA 2019-present
• “Living the Spiral: A Yoga, Art Therapy and Shamanistic Healing Retreat”
Presenter, Social Justice Symposium, Seattle WA 2021
• Online Group Art Therapy: Support, Gender Inclusivity, & Creative Resourcing for Isolating Times
• Models for Online Art Groups: Creating Accessible Therapeutic Support During Covid 19
Presenter, Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle WA 2020
• “Henna Techniques for EveryBody”
Lead Trainer, Azraq Refugee Camp, Jordan 2019
• “Resilient Responses: Expressive Arts for Refugee Youth”
Presenter, Western Association of Counselor Educators, Santa Rosa, CA 2018
• “Developing Transformative Study Abroad Experiences”
Presenter, Nordic Art Therapies Conference, Reykjavik, Iceland 2018
• “The Sculpted Breath: Clay & Pranayama in Practice”
• “Adapting Creative Arts Programming in Diverse Cultural Contexts”
Presenter, Nordic Art Therapies Conference, Kathmandu, Nepal 2017
• “First Aid Arts for Healing from Trauma”
• Co-Presenter Mariamée Gonzalez, PhD, LMHC
Presenter, First Aid Arts Level II, Seattle, WA 2015-2016
• “The Art Object in the Expressive Arts”
• “Co-facilitation Dynamics in the Healing Arts”
Presenter, American Art Therapy Association National Conference, Minneapolis, MN 2015
• “Expanding Cross-Cultural Awareness Through Service-Learning: Cultural Immersion & Art Therapy in India”
Presenter, American Art Therapy Association National Conference, Seattle, WA 2013
• “Art as Social Action” A Tibetan Sand Mandala Experience, plenary conference event
• “Walking in the Mandala: The Imagery & Symbolism of a Tibetan Sand Mandala”
• “Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation: Who We are and What We Do”
Graduate Research Assistant, Antioch University, Seattle, WA 2011-2012
• An Individual Art Therapy Intervention for Adults Coping with Combat Related Grief
Researcher, Antioch University, Seattle, WA 2010-2011
• Art Therapy Interventions with First Generation and Mexican Immigrant Youth
- Multicultural Competency in the Creative Arts Therapies;
- Group Art Therapy;
- Trauma, Crisis & Disaster Response,
- Practicum & Internship Case Consultation,
- Art Therapy in Diverse Settings,
- Group Art Therapy,
- Master’s Thesis Supervision