MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT, ATCS (she/her)
Practice Owner / Founder
Licensed & Board-Certified Art Therapist & Certified Supervisor
Works with individuals ages 14+
(Also Licensed in OR)
NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS
MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT (she/they)
Licensed & Board-Certified Art Therapist
Works with individuals ages 4+
In-Person or Virtual
(Also Licensed in NY & OR)
Available: Tues, Wed, Fri, & Sun
MS, ATR-BC (she/her)
Board-Certified Art Therapist
Works with individuals ages 10+
In-Person or Virtual
Available: Mon & Tue
MA, AMFT, ATR (she/her)
Registered Art Therapist
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Works with individuals ages 4+
Offers Family & Couples Therapy
In-Person Only
Available: Mon, Thur & Sat
MA, AMFT, ATR (she/her)
Registered Art Therapist
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Works with individuals ages 13+
Offers Family & Couples Therapy
Virtual Only
Available: M-F
MA, ATR-P (she/her)
Art Therapist
Works with individuals ages 4+
In-Person or Virtual
Available: Sun, Mon, & Fri
MA, ATR-P (she/her)
Art Therapist
Sutter Health Mills Peninsula Health Center
MT-BC (they/she)
Board-Certified Music Therapist
Sutter Health Mills Peninsula Health Center
MA, ATR (she/her)
Registered Art Therapist
Sutter Health Mills Peninsula Health Center
MA, ATR-P (she/her/ella)
Art Therapist
East Side Union High School District &
Santa Clara County Office of Education
Practice Owner / Founder
Licensed & Board-Certified Art Therapist
Art Therapy Certified Supervisor
NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS AT THIS TIME
Tonia Herrero (she/her) is the owner and supervising Art Therapist of East Bay Art Therapy. Tonia is a cisgendered woman with Spanish, Ashkenazi, Irish and Native American (Sac and Fox) ancestry. Tonia is a Board-Certified Art Therapist and Certified Supervisor with the Art Therapy Credentials Board and a Licensed Certified Art Therapist in the state of Oregon. She has over nine years of clinical experience and specializes in working with adolescent boys who have been conditioned to suppress their emotions and therefore have turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as using substances. She helps them to access, express and process emotions and trauma as well as find healthy and creative ways to cope without the use of substances. Tonia has long term sobriety/recovery herself and is passionate about working with folks in recovery or wanting to enter recovery from substance-abuse. For decades, Tonia has demonstrated an innate talent and ability to build positive rapport with adolescents, especially teen boys.
Tonia's approach to art therapy is trauma-informed and draws influence from Internal Family Systems (IFS), Relational Psychodynamic and Humanistic theories such as Person-Centered, Existential, and Gestalt. She is also trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) which informs her approach. Tonia is a Health At Every Size (HAES) and Intuitive Eating informed therapist which informs her work when her clients may be struggling with their relationship to food and body image.
Tonia obtained her Bachelors of Fine Arts from California College of the Arts, an Art Teaching Credential from CSU East Bay, and a Masters of Professional Studies in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute. Tonia has a long history of facilitating the powerful therapeutic relationship between art and young people. In her first career, she developed and directed an art academy at a public high school in Oakland where she was a full-time art teacher for ten years. Inspired by the healing power of the arts and the relationships she built with her students, Tonia decided to return to her hometown of Brooklyn, New York to pursue graduate studies in Art Therapy. During her graduate program, Tonia furthered her passion for adolescents as she completed various clinical internships providing individual and group art therapy to pre-teens and adolescents with complex trauma, justice-involvement, and other behavioral and mental health concerns in both residential and school settings. Tonia has held various positions as an art therapist at facilities across the bay area such as; residential treatment facilities for teens and young adults, transitional housing for adults, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and K-12 public schools. Tonia founded East Bay Art Therapy in March of 2019.
In her free time, Tonia enjoys making colorful abstract art using a variety of 2D media. She is passionate about expressing her creativity through fashion; making jewelry, dyeing and screen printing clothes, and doing hair, makeup and nail art. You can also find her practicing yoga, dancing to hip-hop, playing tennis, and cuddling with her beloved dogs, a Dalmatian and Rottweiler.
Tonia is available to see individuals ages 14 and up in the office on Wednesdays. She also works off-site providing art therapy groups at public schools in Oakland (OUSD) and facilitates trainings, professional development, and workplace wellness workshops throughout the SF Bay Area. Tonia is available for consultation services. Tonia supervises all other EBAT therapists.
ATR-BC #18-101 (National)
LCAT #ART-C-10214083 (Oregon)
Fee: $200 / session
Licensed & Board-Certified Art Therapist
Lauren Chester (she/they) is a registered and board-certified art therapist (ATR-BC), a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) in the state of New York, a Licensed Certified Art Therapist (LCAT) in the state of Oregon and has over a decade of clinical experience. Lauren is passionate about cultivating environments where people can practice sharing their whole selves. Lauren believes in the process of art as a conduit for communication and expression and is passionate about the use of art to encourage meaningful conversations. Lauren’s practice of Art Therapy has been heavily influenced by the Disability Justice and Healing Justice movements and is non-hierarchical, co-creative, neurodivergent-affirming, and gender-affirming.
Lauren focuses on work with clients who are navigating: grief, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, substance use/addiction, trauma, and themes of identity such as gender and sexuality. Lauren also specializes in working with ADHD and autistic individuals and is trained in Floortime for their work with young children. A significant portion of Lauren’s clinical work (7 years) has been with supporting clients who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Lauren has worked in a wide range of clinical and community-based settings and with a range of populations in over 14 years of experience, including: schools (K-12), psychiatric hospitals, affordable housing, day treatment, and HIV treatment and prevention.
Lauren’s journey as a clinician began with formal education (a Bachelor’s of Fine Art at the University of Georgia and a Master’s of Professional Studies in Art Therapy from the School of Visual Arts in New York City). However after navigating a major health crisis in 2013 Lauren became passionate about understanding how our minds and bodies can work together, and pursued additional training in supportive modalities, such as yoga (200-hour plus additional training in restoratives and trauma sensitive yoga).
When not working in Art Therapy, Lauren spends time loving their rescue dog and bestie Tucker, learning about motorcycles, digging around in the leaves for mushrooms, and herbalism. Lauren's future goals include building out a schoolie as a mobile art studio, and using it to host meaningful conversations in the community through art making.
Lauren is available to see individuals ages 4 and up at the Oakland office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday (or virtually). She facilitates the Teen Art Therapy Group. Lauren is available for ATR supervision. They currently work off-site for EBAT providing art therapy groups for The City of Oakland Senior Centers.
ATR-BC #13-264 (National)
LCAT #001665 (New York)
LCAT #ART-C-10236427 (Oregon)
Fee: $190 / session
Board-Certified Art Therapist & Intake Coordinator
Megan Fradley-Smith (she/her) was born and raised in the balmy breezes of South Florida, always with a pencil in hand and a drawing in the works. She received a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology, with a minor in general education, from the University of Florida in 2006. She obtained a Master's of Science in Art Therapy from Florida State University in 2009. Megan is a Board-Certified Art Therapist with the Art Therapy Credentials Board.
Megan has worked in the clinical art therapy field for over a decade, within varied settings and populations. From behavioral health centers to in-patient residential facilities, Megan has served clients ranging in ages from 2-80 years old. Trained in trauma-focused play and art therapy, Megan deeply believes in the power of meeting clients where they are and assisting them on their journey of self-discovery. Her work is informed by Developmental and Cognitive-Behavioral theory, with an anchor in Humanistic psychology. Additionally, Megan is a lover of nature and wildlife, and enjoys bringing the outside in during the therapeutic process.
Megan focuses on work with clients struggling with Anxiety, Personality Disorders, Identity issues, ADHD, and Mood Disorders. A mother herself, she also passionately supports the needs of birthing and postpartum people.
Megan is available to see individuals 10 and up at the Oakland office on Monday and Tuesday (or virtually). Megan is available for ATR supervision and works as EBAT's Intake Coordinator for our private practice.
ATR-BC #22-299 (National)
Fee: $190 / session
Registered Art Therapist / Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Melodee Robinson (she/her) is an Oakland native who loves digital art. She received a BA in the Practice of Art from UC Berkeley in 2009. She obtained a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Art Therapy from Notre Dame De Namur University in 2015. She currently practices as a Registered Art Therapist and is working towards becoming board certified.
Melodee utilizes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) techniques integrated with art therapy when working with individuals, couples, and families. She is trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and uses CPT techniques to address trauma. She takes a trauma informed approach when using art therapy in conjunction with play therapy and talk therapy.
Melodee has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings providing therapy for children as young as 3 years old and adults up to 90 years old. Melodee specializes in working with young people that have a history of trauma and is especially passionate about working with black individuals, couples, and families. As a black woman, she believes in increasing awareness of mental health and utilizing art therapy to aid in healing historical trauma within the black community. In addition to the black community, she enjoys working with people from all ethnic and religious backgrounds as well as the LGBTQAI+ population.
Melodee loves going shopping and having dancing parties with her 4 children in the living room. In her own art making practice, she enjoys photography and videography.
Melodee is available to see individuals ages 4 and up, couples, and families at the EBAT office in Oakland on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. She also provides off-site groups for Human Good (affordable housing) in Oakland.
ATR #21-260 (National)
AMFT #122945 (CA)
Supervised by Amy Backos, ATR-BC, PhD, PSY #24943
Fees:
$170 / session (Individual Therapy)
$190 / session (Couples & Family Therapy)
Registered Art Therapist / Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Angelina Nader (she/her) is a Registered Art Therapist with a multi-faceted background. Growing up in a multicultural environment has instilled in Angelina a profound appreciation for multi-faceted identities, which she integrates seamlessly into her therapeutic approach, often examining dynamic generational patterns through a compassionate, humanistic lens.
Angelina is trained in Somatic therapies, EMDR, Mindfulness, DBT, CBT, and expressive arts therapy and her approach is collaborative and firmly rooted in trauma-informed care. Angelina helps individuals, couples, families and groups develop practical tools for managing symptoms and stressors outside of sessions. She specializes in guiding clients through trauma, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and blocks in creativity and self exploration. When working with couples Angelina integrates art therapy with EFT and The Gottman Method. With a passion for supporting those navigating transitional phases such as grief and loss or major career / life changes, she utilizes art-making to facilitate communication and empower clients in regaining ownership of their mental wellness.
Angelina obtained a Bachelor's degree in Communication at University of California, San Diego and after years of experiencing the healing powers of dance, mindfulness and art, Angelina pursued her Master’s degree in Marital & Family Therapy with a specialization in Art Therapy from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She is also a registered meditation / mindfulness teacher.
Angelina is available to see individuals ages 13 and up, couples, and families on weekdays (VIRTUAL ONLY) and facilitates the Virtual Women's Art Therapy Group.
ATR # 24-029 (National)
Fees:
$170 / session (Individual Therapy)
$190 / session (Couples & Family Therapy)
Art Therapist
Danielle Swan (she/her) is an art therapist and clinical mental health professional. As a black woman, Danielle is passionate about liberated practices and the destigmatization of mental health. She is dedicated to a holistic approach to wellness and personal creative expression. She values the creativity each person holds and is inspired by the ability art has to support care in therapy.
She is passionate about mental wellness throughout the lifespan working with children as young as 4 to older adults. Danielle has honed her skills in CBT, DBT, ACT, and mindfulness and integrates these approaches with art therapy to address the needs of individuals. Danielle specializes in working with members of marginalized communities experiencing depression, anxiety, and life transitions. She offers accessible skills to help manage grief, assists in establishing routines, holds space for emotional expression and collaborates with clients on utilizing accessible coping skills. Danielle is committed to working from a trauma-informed lens, acknowledging care and safety as the starting point in pursuit of wellness.
Danielle received her Masters in Art Therapy and Counseling from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. Here she found a passion for understanding identity development and community group work. Danielle values the meaningful impact of therapeutic work with others and the ways sharing of stories can encourage growth and connection. Danielle has practiced in elementary schools, inpatient /outpatient facilities, private practice, and community-based programs.
Danielle is a west coast native with experience in city centers in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. She loves to engage in all the arts including dance, music and the visual arts whether creating for herself, friends, and family or visiting shows and museums.
Danielle is available to see clients ages 4 and up at our Oakland Office on Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays (or virtually). Danielle facilitates the BIPOC Adult Open Studio Art Therapy Group.
ATR-P # 24-663 (National)
Supervised by Tonia Herrero, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT, ATCS
Fee: $160 / session
Art Therapist
Erica McCracken (she/her) is an Art Therapist who grew up on the East Coast. She graduated with her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy from Lesley University. Erica is a Provisional Art Therapist working towards full professional credentialing in art therapy. She has always been passionate about visual arts, especially enjoying ceramics and collage. Erica found solace and self-expression in her own personal journey with art making. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2023 after her time in Boston where she worked with various populations including children, adolescents, young adults, and older adults.
Erica believes in meeting individuals where they are and tailoring methods to the individual or group needs. She has enjoyed her work with individuals, groups, and dyadic sessions from an older adult day program and K-12 therapeutic school, to a community mental health agency and private practice. Erica is committed to helping individuals navigate their emotional landscapes and personal growth by exploring their inner worlds. She believes in trusting the art process.
Erica's eclectic therapeutic approach draws from DBT, family systems, and strength-based models. She has special interests in adolescents with anxiety, depression, and mood disorders. She is continuing her professional development, learning about the use of nature in art therapy and trauma-informed care. Erica loves an open studio art therapy model and utilizing mixed media in sessions.
In her free time, Erica loves dancing, making art in her altered book, and spending time with her partner and their dog, Cooper!
Erica works off-site providing art therapy groups at Sutter Mills Peninsula Health Center (Adolescent Psychiatric Unit) in San Mateo, CA.
ATR-P #24-610 (National)
Supervised by Tonia Herrero, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT, ATCS
Board-Certified Music Therapist
Olivia Krent (they/she) is a queer, non-binary & Korean-American Music Therapist. They were born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and received their MT-BC credential in September of 2023. They attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA to receive their Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy with a Minor in Psychology. Olivia has had a passion for singing and playing the guitar since they were a young child and when they discovered the profession of music therapy in high school, they found a calling that combined their love for music with their desire to provide care for those in their communities and others.
Olivia's approach to music therapy is greatly influenced by a medical psychosocial model and she believes that while working in medical settings, it is important to see the patients and families they work with as their whole selves. Olivia understands that context is key to gain a rich understanding of a person you're caring for as they embark on their personal journey to wellness and healing. Olivia has had experiences in a number of populations: children and adolescents with disabilities in a school setting, older adults, community music therapy, and services in pediatric outpatient oncology. Most recently, they completed their internship through The Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy at Mount Sinai in New York in spring of 2023, with a focus in research as well as providing music therapy in the NICU and Pediatric ER. Since starting with EBAT, Olivia has received extensive training and supervision in Therapeutic Beat-Making (TBM) with Dr. Elliot Gann, executive director of Today's Future Sound.
In their free time, Olivia loves cooking, exploring nature in the Bay Area, and runs their own small pet care business: The Gay Dog Walker! They love spending time with friends and loved ones and building community is very important to them.
Olivia works off-site providing music therapy groups at Sutter Mills Peninsula Health Center (Adolescent Psychiatric Unit) in San Mateo, CA.
MT-BC #18409 (National)
Licensed & Registered Art Therapist
Grace Colangelo (she/her) has a B.A. in Painting and Art History from Marlboro College in Vermont and an M.A. in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Under the supervision of Art Robbins, Grace earned her ATR credentials. She has extensive experience working with children, adolescents and adults across various settings including: adults living with AIDS, hospice and bereavement care for both children and adults, and inpatient and outpatient mental and behavioral health for all ages.
Grace’s approach to art therapy is eclectic and inter-modal, trauma-informed and humanistic, employing DBT, and ACT techniques and fostering an environment where clients find the courage to face their challenges and the strength to embrace their personal growth. Her practice focuses on healing through creativity and expression, emphasizing individual strengths and personal narratives.
In addition to her clinical training, Grace integrates her experience as a yoga practitioner, meditator, and Reiki practitioner into her therapeutic work, addressing emotional and psychological challenges like anxiety, depression, trauma recovery, and life transitions.
Outside of her clinical work, Colangelo is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, running, backpacking, and observing nature, which informs and enriches her approach to her art and therapy work.
Grace works as an on-call Art Therapist facilitating art therapy groups at Sutter Mills Peninsula Medical Center (Adolescent Psychiatric Unit) in San Mateo, CA.
ATR #96-176 (National)
Art Therapist
Janeth Padilla (she/her/ella) is a first-generation first-born Latina bicultural bilingual therapist. She was born in Colombia, South America and has navigated two cultures all her life while growing up in the Bay Area. This experience has shaped and informed who she is today. She holds a Masters of Art in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Art Therapy from Dominican University. As a mother who experienced a Postpartum Mood Disorder herself, she experiences and understands the healing and transformative possibilities that therapy and art therapy possess. She also believes in the power of creation available to everyone and the ability to integrate the mind, body, and the whole self through self-expression and art therapy.
Janeth has experience working in community care with marginalized communities. She has worked with adults with acute mental illnesses who experienced compounding stressors such as income, housing, and food insecurity. She provided care by using a Humanistic Person Centered, trauma informed lens with a Dialectical Behavior Therapy approach. She also used other Behavioral approaches such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She uses art making with parallel process and free-standing art making with DBT informed language and themes within the therapy space. She helps individuals learn skills to find balance, be mindful, manage distress, regulate emotions and improve interpersonal relationships and develop better self-awareness. Janeth also helped to facilitate support and process groups as well as ACT based groups using art making to help align individuals with their values and promote psychological flexibility. Her favorite art therapy process is being in an Open Studio format while making art in community with others. She also loves painting, collage making, and using found objects to build Altars for reflection, honoring, and making space for the divine.
Janeth believes in the transformative capabilities that therapy can provide for personal growth, healing, self-care, and understanding of one-self, others, and our communities. She is committed to destigmatizing mental health within the Latino/e/x community. She wants to help individuals and families break free of intergenerational cycles of trauma and navigate the complexities of being bicultural and having generational differences within the Latino/e/x family dynamic. She believes in being a lifelong learner and sharing her worldview as an immigrant person of color to uplift the voices of her community. She practices with a lens rooted in inclusivity, cultural humility, children’s rights, social and racial justice, and non-violence.
Janeth works off-site facilitating art therapy groups at high schools in East Side Union High School District in San Jose, CA and in K-12 schools throughout Santa Clara County, CA.
ATR-P #24-710 (National)
Supervised by Tonia Herrero, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT, ATCS
Please contact us with any questions or to schedule a free consultation.
55 Santa Clara Ave, Suite 220, Oakland, California 94610
(510) 675-7070 Fax: (510) 902-7640 Tonia@EastBayArtTherapy.com Link to Client Portal: https://eastbayarttherapy.clientsecure.me (For Existing Clients Only)
Please Note: In the state of California, The Creative Arts Therapies are considered Allied Health Professions, not a form of Psychotherapy and are not governed by the CA Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). Some of our therapists are dually credentialed with the CA BBS.