About Creative Arts Therapy
Art Therapy
Art Therapy involves talking with a therapist, but it is so much more. What may be difficult to express in words may become more accessible to you when you are given the opportunity to express yourself through a creative art form. By creating and processing your art with an art therapist, you can gain insight into yourself, build self-esteem and self awareness, and learn new coping skills for making positive change in your life.
Art therapy is an integrative approach to healing that helps clients connect their mind, body, and spirit by integrating visual art-making into therapy. An art therapy session may start off with a verbal check-in, followed by an art making directive, and concluding with reflection and verbal processing of the art. The amount of time spent in each phase varies depending on the client's needs and preference for that session. Some sessions may be purely verbal and others focused more on the creative process. Our Art Therapists can provide clients with a specific directive or prompt for art making that they feel may be helpful and other times clients may work in a more self-directed way. You are always the leader in your session!
Some art modalities available include; drawing, painting, clay, collage, mixed media, found object sculpture, sewing, digital art or photography. No experience or skill with art making is necessary to benefit from art therapy. We provide all art materials for in-person sessions.
Read more about art therapy on the American Art Therapy Association website:
https://arttherapy.org/about-art-therapy/
We also offer other Creative Arts Therapy modalities at East Bay Art Therapy such as Drama Therapy and Music Therapy, currently only for off-site contracts.
For more information about the other Creative Arts Therapy modalities (there are 6 total under this umbrella term) visit the following link:
About EBAT
Mission & Vision
East Bay Art Therapy's mission is to expand creative arts therapy services in the San Francisco Bay Area and increase the public's knowledge of and exposure to the field of creative arts therapy by offering an array of creative arts therapy services to folks of all ages both in the private and public sector. East Bay Art Therapy's vision is a bay area where creative arts therapy is a commonly known term and an option for mental health services for people of all identities and backgrounds.
Core Values (C-IDEA)
Creativity
We believe creativity is inherent in every person. Our team brings innovation, imagination, and a creative lens into all that we do. We help clients reconnect with their own creative potential as a pathway to healing, expression, and growth.
Integrity
We are committed to strong ethical practices and to representing the field of art therapy with professionalism and care. Integrity informs how we make decisions, maintain boundaries, and support the well-being of every client and clinician.
Diversity & Decolonization
EBAT is intentional about building a diverse clinical team that reflects the identities and lived experiences of the communities we serve. We actively work to dismantle oppressive systems and embrace a decolonized approach to therapy, one that honors culture, identity, and community wisdom.
Empowerment
We empower clients by centering their agency, voice, and choice in the therapeutic process. We also believe in empowering our staff, creating an environment where clinicians feel valued, supported, and confident in their expertise.
Authenticity
We model authenticity as therapists so clients feel safe to express who they truly are. We honor lived experience just as much as education and clinical training, recognizing that authenticity strengthens connection, trust, and the therapeutic relationship.
CanvasRebel Magazine Articles
Interviews with East Bay Art Therapy owner, Tonia Herrero:
https://canvasrebel.com/meet-tonia-herrero/
https://canvasrebel.com/community-highlights-meet-tonia-herrero-of-east-bay-art-therapy/