Meet Vanessa
Vanessa is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and a Professional Member of the Ontario Art Therapy Association. She completed her studies at The University of Guelph (2008) and the Toronto Art Therapy Institute (2014). She is a certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioner (2021) from Starr Commonwealth, and is certified as a Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Provider (year long program 2023) from the Integrative Psychiatry Institute in conjunction with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).
Individual Therapy (children 6+, teens, and adults)
Art Therapy: Vanessa utilizes art therapy in her sessions, a sensory based intervention, not relying a whole lot on talking. It provides another avenue of self-expression – allowing us to make meaning of our life, situation or issues that we are currently dealing with. Sometimes we don’t have the words to describe how we feel, while other times we don’t want to talk about it. But so much can be said using images, colours, shapes, metaphors. We can process and talk about events in a different way. You don’t have to be good at art, it’s not the final product that matters but the process of creating and self reflection through journaling done afterwards.
Art Therapy can effectively treat people of all ages. Vanessa counsels children and adolescents who are experiencing feelings of anger, depression, anxiety, trauma, separation and divorce, emotional and behavioural issues. We offer a 6 week foundation program (individual sessions) for children and teens that promotes emotional awareness – how to name feelings, notice the sensations in our body, explores triggers, negative beliefs and identify strategies to help manage and cope.
Vanessa also provides individual counselling for women who may be struggling to cope with stress and life challenges, trauma, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, or may want to explore personal growth.
Trauma-Informed Care: Your well-being is my top priority, and I approach every session with compassion, sensitivity, and respect for your unique journey. With a trauma-informed approach, I help you navigate past wounds, cultivate resilience, and reclaim your sense of safety and empowerment.
Interested in art therapy? Email us and we’ll send you an information package, please read through. We want to provide the best service possible, with each case being unique we want to make sure it’s a good fit for both of us. We’ll send an intake form. Vanessa will review the form and be in touch. Appointment times are either 50 min or 80 min sessions available.
The Art of Using Your Voice (18+)
- Are you ready to reclaim your voice and develop the confidence to use it?
- What if you stopped worrying about everyone else’ happiness and started to focus on your own?
- What if “no” was a complete sentence? A sentence that was common in your vocabulary, where you didn’t feel the need to explain or provide reasoning?
- What if you were able to set clear and healthy boundaries so you didn’t feel like you were the company doormat or walking on eggshells around people?
I’m looking for women who are ready reclaim their voice and develop the confidence to use it. So if you…
- want more peace in your work or home environment
- are ready to connect with your intuition
- have 2 hours a week over the next 9 weeks to take action
- are friendly and ready for change
Send an email with the words “Pilot Project” and I’ll get back to you with all the details.
Toolkit Kids/Teens/Adults
Free PDF of studio tools – coping strategies used in our sessions
When I went to therapy, I always found myself thinking afterwards “what just happened, what did we talk about?”. I kept finding myself coming up against the same brick wall and not having any idea to get around it. I created these tools as visual reminders to help adults and children have reference to what they’re learning in therapy. The visual reminder and description on the back is a way to transport their knowledge from the therapy session into daily life at home. Because let’s face it, if we spend all this money on therapy but don’t take the time or effort to make the changes at home it’s a waste cause.
Click on studio tools and you’ll get the PDF version. Pages 1-2 are adult/teen tools. Pages 3-4 are children/teens tools
Resources for Parents - 6 week art therapy program
I’m always looking for ways to help support families and their learning process. I want to make the information accessible and easy so that parents can help support their children’s emotional growth at home with the tools that they’ve learnt in therapy. I will go through various tools I use with kids to help them identify and name feelings, where they feel them in the body, how they feel, and how to express these feelings in healthy ways. Throughout each video I encourage you to do your own self reflection and see how you can utilize these tools to help not only your children, but you as well.
Video# 1 – Why I created this video series https://youtu.be/Ex8xB8OZI4M
Video#2 – Children See, Children Do https://youtu.be/0mTX92SQ3_w
Video #3 – Tools Explained: Feelings of My Heart/Belly Breathing https://youtu.be/LFblrwf2Fq4
Video #4 Tools Explained: Feelings aren’t Bad – https://youtu.be/GTUjEKSwraM
Video #5 – Tools Explained: I Feel….I Need… https://youtu.be/wskmiGCtXDw
Video #6 – Tools Explained: Feelings in my Body https://youtu.be/ChcgWfFF7jM
Creative Flow Workshop
This 6 week workshop explores how art resembles life. As any artist approaches a blank page or a piece of canvas, it’s a brave step, we never really know how it’s going to turn out. We have an idea of what we want but as we begin to create, we start to see things emerge and go with what’s working.
Just as in life, any new adventure or journey comes with a blank page, allowing you to write the story. It’s a brave step, and you can never really be prepared or guess what’s all going to happen.
What are the similarities between the creative process and life? We’re exploring our own creativity and the meaning of life. Led by Laura Mowbray (Yoga Instructor) and Vanessa De Groot.
While the canvas of your life is painted with daily experiences, behaviours, reactions and emotions – you are the one controlling the brush. We are the artist of our own lives.
– Author Unknown
art therapy
Vanessa’s Journey
Art was a language without words, it is capable of connecting people no matter where we live or what language we speak. I came to this realization on two separate occasions, in two different countries. In grade 10, as part of a cultural awareness trip, I visited the Dominican Republic. During a visit to a local elementary school, we were encouraged to play with the students. I did what I knew best, I picked up a crayon and I began to draw. Standing beside me was a little girl who was intensely observing every mark I made. I decided to draw the two of us holding each of our flags, standing next to one another. Upon completion, I handed it to her. Bright eyed and smiling, she took my hand and led me to her home where I was introduced to her family. It was an unimaginable experience, to witness her way of life and all without saying one word.
The second instance was in 2009, while living and working in the Netherlands. An enduring couple in their mid-seventies couple, Jan and Kunnie, had hired me as their cleaning lady. They quickly adopted me as their own. Once I finished work, Kunnie and I would head up to her attic studio to paint. The appreciation of art, the relaxation and friendship that we developed while creating art catapulted me into a completely different career path. After living in Europe for a year and a half, I returned home and began teaching art programs in retirement homes.
These experiences showed what a valuable tool art could be and influenced my decision to become an art therapist. As a Registered Psychotherapist, I enjoy seeing how free-spirited children are as creators in their young lives, and helping youth and adults unleash the freedom once simply found in their childhood.
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