This project predated my formal design training, but it shaped how I think about translating insights and observations into tools that support care.

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Context 

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Mental health practitioners often rely on talk-based interventions that don’t work for all clients, especially youth or individuals who struggle to verbalize emotions. I observed this firsthand while volunteering with youth at SafeSpace, where peer community forums and mental health outreach often failed to fully engage participants.

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Insight

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Through conversations with therapists and mental health practitioners, I learned that structured creative prompts can lower the barrier to participation by giving clients a nonverbal entry point into emotional expression. However, many practices lacked accessible, repeatable tools that could be easily shared across sessions and settings.​

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Project

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To explore how these insights could translate into practice, I collaborated with a licensed art therapist to understand how therapeutic goals are embedded in creative activities. Drawing on this guidance, I designed a 42-page guided art journal that translated practitioner goals into prompts and visuals. I piloted early versions of the journal with youth participants at SafeSpace, using feedback to refine prompts and pacing.

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Impact 

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Partnering with SafeSpace, I organized outreach and distributed the journal to 45 schools, hospitals, mental health organizations, private practices, and community organizations. While initially designed for youth group settings, the journal was also adopted independently by therapists in one-on-one clinical practice.

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“I started using the book with a couple of clients and they love it.” — Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

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