Art As Language

My name is Faye Kennelly, I am first and foremost a multi-media visual artist, I also identify as queer and neurodivergent. I believe these intersections of my identity have informed my deep connection to the art-making process.  I am acutely aware of the power art has to uncover, transform, and heal all facets of our human existence. Throughout my lifetime, creativity has been my most valuable and adaptive resource.  Art has been so many things to me; a visual diary, a shield, a mirror, an escape, a portal, a way to express gratitude, a companion during loneliness and boredom. From childhood onward, it has evolved and changed- a lifelong companion.

Inviting others to experience this, guiding people toward fortifying a secure relationship to art-making is serious and meaningful work. My aspiration for all my clients, is that they will build increased attunement to materials and media, creating a symbiotic relationship between maker and art product. Curiosity is a crucial role in this process not just for the client but for me as a mental healthcare worker and clinician, curiosity is an ethical obligation in the therapeutic trajectory. A common inquiry I use to begin the session is "how are you arriving today?" Which will be followed by "How can the art process best accompany you through the session?" 

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My path toward a career in Art Therapy has always been grounded in certainty. My training began while studying sculpture in art school, interspersing psychology classes. Graduate school took me from New England to the Pacific Northwest where I enrolled in an accelerated dual masters program at Marylhurst University in Oregon. Self exploration and deep personal work was a surprising and integral part of my pursuit toward a career in Art Therapy.  My work in the helping profession has brought me to a variety of settings and environments such as day treatment programs, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, alternative high schools, outpatient treatment programs and now private practice. ​

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My Credentials 

• B.A. in Studio Arts from Rhode Island College 

• M.A. in Art Therapy Counseling from Marylhurst University 

• Dual credentialed as an LPC (8131) and ATR (17-200) 

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