Online Individual Art Psychotherapy

Rachel Mae Robbins
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Professional Art Therapist

Your Story

You may be here because you’re curious about therapy and feeling ready to step in. Maybe someone suggested art therapy (yes, for adults!) and you have arrived here wondering what it’s all about. Or maybe you have had a creative experience that was surprisingly supportive and you are looking to explore with more depth and personalization.

I invite you to explore this site and see if it resonates with your search. To further explore if Mae & You Art Therapy is the right fit for you, let’s chat.

To learn more about art therapy and how it might support your journey, your questions may be answered here.

  • As an artist, creative, or arts administrator, you pour so much of yourself into your work. You know firsthand the highs and the joys of your career. You live for the moments where you are reminded "this is why I do this." Your work also comes with intense pressures and demands on your time, body, and resources.

    With over 15 years of experience as an arts administrator, I've been immersed in the world of artists and creatives. I've seen firsthand the intense dedication required of you, and I understand the scramble, the pressure, the expectations, the exhaustion, and the inherent ups and downs of bringing creative visions to life. This insight allows me to meet you exactly where you are.

    You’re in the right place if you’re looking for support because:

    • You often put your needs second to ensure the success of the art, the performance, or the mission.

    • Your efforts are unseen, underappreciated, or undervalued.

    • You're losing sight of your "why," or your future in the arts feels unsustainable.

    • You feel misunderstood by important people in your life.

    • You need a space to process challenges connected to your arts education, industry trauma, or your childhood.

    • You’re navigating an injury or a major event that has impacted your work.

    When your art is your livelihood, it can be hard to find a space where your creativity is just for you, without deadlines or demands. In art therapy, we’ll approach art completely differently. In our work together, the art is in service to the psychotherapeutic process. It supports your story, your journey, and your needs.

    When there’s no product to sell, we can release expectations, critique, and innovation. This opens up space for the art to support your nervous system, externalize and sit with complex emotions, communicate difficult-to-describe experiences, and lead to profound insights about yourself and your artist identity. Art Therapy is a dedicated space for your own reflection and healing.

  • Life can bring transitions that allow time for preparation as well as sudden shifts that catch us completely off guard. In either situation, things may feel out of control, scary, and uncertain. It's easy to feel lost or untethered. Art Therapy can offer a steady, grounded space to help you find your footing.

    You're in the right place if you're looking for support because:

    • You're navigating a significant life transition.

    • You're experiencing grief and loss, whether from losing a loved one, a pet, a job, a place, or even a piece of yourself. This also includes grieving anticipated loss that hasn't happened yet.

    • You're adjusting to new surroundings or a new culture, and finding what it means to belong or to maintain your sense of self amidst big changes.

    • You're feeling loneliness, and seeking deeper connections with yourself and the world around you.

    In art therapy, we'll create a dedicated space for you to explore your experience at your own pace. The art becomes a gentle way to express complex emotions, share your story, acknowledge and honour losses, and seek comfort.

  • Healthcare can be a difficult journey. Perhaps your needs haven't felt centered in your care, or maybe you've had difficult experiences you need to process where your well-being was overlooked.

    My graduate thesis specifically explored how art therapy can support individuals navigating IUD experiences. This research deepened my understanding of how systemic bias has led to care that is not always equitable, particularly for women and marginalized communities. Art Therapy is an evidence-based practice that can support these challenges.

    You're in the right place if you're looking for support because:

    • You're navigating anxiety or fear related to your health or medical treatments.

    • You're facing uncertainty.

    • You're coping with pain or discomfort.

    • You feel overwhelmed.

    • You've experienced a healthcare trauma.

    In art therapy, we'll work together at your own pace. The art offers a gentle way to support a connection with your body, increase your capacity to navigate your experience, and express sensations that may be difficult to verbalize. Art Therapy may also help you reclaim agency in your body and your healthcare journey. Your story deserves space to be witnessed.

This information is here to support your search and help you decide if my approach feels right for you.

If you don’t see the exact words that describe you, but my website and approach resonate, please reach out. We can explore whether it’s a good fit.

Working Together

The work we do together in Art therapy will be collaborative. At its core, it’s about creating a space where you have the time to understand yourself, your story, and your relationships. Let’s create a space where we welcome all parts of yourself and identify and tend to your needs.

Self-care is community care. When we learn how to care for ourselves, we can become better equipped to show up and care for others.

I work with adults who need support with:

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Grief and loss

  • Identity development

  • Creative block

  • Artist/Performer injury

  • Former art/performance education trauma

  • Family relationships

  • Transitions

  • Stress

  • Burnout

  • Loneliness

  • Healthcare experiences

You might be seeking:

  • A deeper understanding of yourself

  • A greater capacity to navigate challenges

  • To get “unstuck” and move through something

  • To lessen rumination

  • To improve relationships

  • To develop a creative practice

  • To find your voice and new paths into your creativity

  • To discover your artist identity

  • To reclaim your agency and autonomy

  • A sense of personal growth

  • A sense of balance

  • A sense of comfort and safety

  • A sense of connection

  • A sense of spaciousness with supportive boundaries

I have focused experience with these communities:

  • Adults

  • Newcomers to Canada

  • Artists & Creatives

  • Arts Administrators

  • Women

This information is here to support your search and help you decide if my approach feels right for you.

If you don’t see the exact words that describe you, but my website and approach resonate, please reach out. We can explore whether it’s a good fit.

My approach to psychotherapy:

Strengths-based

This approach means we will focus on your strengths as we welcome your full self into the therapeutic space. We all have a deep inner-knowing and I believe you know yourself, and your art, best.

Arts-based

Art and art-making can be incorporated into sessions in a customized way that works for you. No prior art experience is needed.

Somatic

I incorporate a body-based approach and acknowledge that the “knowing” in our body operates differently than the “knowing” in our thoughts.

Trauma-informed

I acknowledge the individual experience of trauma and prioritize your safety and personal agency in our sessions. I don’t believe we need to know the story to heal trauma.

Compassion-focused

Inspired by the work of Dr. Kristin Neff, I incorporate the foundational elements of self-compassion.

2SLGBTQIA+ Allied

Sessions are a judgement-free space for all sexual identities, gender identities, and relationship models.

Anti-racist

I acknowledge racism as a system that must be dismantled. I aim for my work to be intentional in building and supporting anti-racist systems.

Anti-oppressive

I acknowledge oppressive systems in our society. I aim to build a practice that acknowledges power imbalance and honours interconnectedness.

A little bit more about me…

I am a Professional Art Aherapist and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) who works with adults through individual therapy and therapeutic groups. I believe therapy is a collaborative process. My multi-faceted approach integrates arts-based, somatic (body-based), and trauma-informed practices, among others, where your safety and personal agency are prioritized.

I hold an Honours Bachelor of Science and an Art Psychotherapy Diploma and bring over 15 years of experience from leading arts education and community engagement programs. I am ready to show up for you with a warm and grounding presence, creating a nonjudgmental space to support your needs, at your pace.

My practice offers you a welcoming process to navigate a wide range of experiences, such as anxiety, grief, life transitions, identity loss, creative block, stress, burnout, loneliness, or feeling stuck. Your mental health is important and my practice is currently welcoming new individuals who are seeking personalized and compassionate psychotherapy.