FUNDAMENTALS OF THERAPEUTIC ART MAKING
The Retreat
Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and professional development as you gain the practical tools and theoretical knowledge needed to confidently lead therapeutic art sessions.
An Artful Path to Holistic Wellness
April 24-26, 2026 | Marshall, NC
I’m thrilled to announce that our Fundamentals of Therapeutic Arts training has evolved from an online format to an immersive, in-person retreat!
Join us for this special retreat-style training, where you’ll enjoy nourishing meals, inspiring sessions, and an option to stay onsite for a fully immersive experience.
Whether you’re an artist, mental health specialist, caregiver, coach, social worker, educator, or community leader, you have the potential to elevate both your practice and the welfare of your clients through the tool of creative expression. During the retreat style training, I will guide you in harnessing and channeling this innate artistic wisdom using an empirically-backed, immersive approach.
Why choose this training?
-
About Ella Raphaëlle Dufrene, MPS, ATR
Ella is a French-Haitian-American registered art therapist, retreat facilitator, and lifelong creative who has spent over a decade helping others reconnect to their inner wisdom through the healing power of art.
With a Master’s in Art Therapy & Creativity Development from Pratt Institute and 10+ years of experience working across clinical, community, and retreat settings, Ella bridges deep clinical insight with soulful, nature-rooted creative practice. She has trained hundreds of artists, therapists, educators, and seekers in how to use therapeutic art as a tool for transformation, resilience, and mental health.
Her approach honors both evidence-based practices and ancestral ways of knowing, combining mindfulness, somatic awareness, and spontaneous creative expression.
She created the Fundamentals of Therapeutic Art Making training to offer a safe, supportive space for people who want to confidently integrate art into their work or lives without needing to be a trained “artist” or art therapist therapist.
When she’s not guiding others, you’ll find Ella dancing bachata, weaving willow, hosting retreats in the forest, or tending to her own creative rituals.
-
Our curriculum will equip you with proven tools needed to make a lasting impact and guide you through applying the transformative power of art.
Our methodology, although systematic and research-based, acknowledges individual learning styles and tailors our course accordingly. We focus heavily on practical application and experiential learning, ensuring not just knowledge acquisition, but its application too.
Enhancing Therapeutic Skills: Learn practical skills to incorporate therapeutic art into your practice through hands-on experiential learning.
Driving Career Development: Equip yourself with the necessary tools to professionally integrate art into your practice.
Fostering Personal Growth and Self-Care: Discover how art can serve as self-care to alleviate stress, enhance self-awareness, foster creative coping mechanisms, and uplift mood.
Creating Community Impact: Learn to run therapeutic art classes or programs, enabling communal growth through art.
Promoting Creative Expansion: Overcome artistic blocks and expand your creative capabilities while understanding the therapeutic benefits.
BONUS: Receive 50+ meaningful art making directives with complete instructions on how to apply them to your individual practice.
The Curriculum
-
Intro and Overview:
Experiential Self-Reflection Collage in Altered Books
Sharing, responses, discussion
Creative Mental Health Practices and Theories 101
What is Art Therapy?
What is Therapeutic Arts?
Who Benefits from Art Therapy & Therapeutic Arts Settings?
Sharing, responses, discussion
The Sensory Use of Clay:
Clay as a Tool for Meditation
Transformative Powers of Clay
Meditation, Mantra & Clay Experiential Activity
Sharing, responses, discussion
Understanding the Meaning of Mandalas:
Jungian Archetypal Symbols & Themes
Experiential activity
Neurobiology of Creative Expression
Neuroplasticity
Neurogenesis
Neurotransmitters and creativity
Self expression and memory
Dopamine and creativity
Serotonin and creativity
-
Rorschach’s Method :
Psychological Assessment Test - Theory & Technique
Experiential activity
Sharing, responses, discussion
Eco-Therapeutic Arts:
Nature as Setting
Nature as Subject
Nature as Material
Existential
Experiential activity
Sharing, responses, discussion
The Power of Materials in Influencing Expression and Facilitating Therapeutic Outcomes
Drawing (pastels, colored pencils, markers)
Painting (watercolors & acrylics)
Sculpting (clay & found objects)
Collaging
Mindfulness-Based Therapeutic Arts Approaches & Theories:
Self-Compassion
Becoming the inner witness
Meditation
Visualization
Experiential activity
Sharing, responses, discussion
Integrating Movement & Music in Therapeutic Arts:
Authentic Movement Theory & Technique
Intuitive Painting Theory & Technique
Experiential activity
-
Somatic Application in Therapeutic Arts:
Theory & practice
Body Scan Experiential
Effective Group Session Structuring and Facilitation
Initial consult- Identifying & assessing client needs
Setting up
Illustrative Case Examples
Building Rapport
Materials
Group Structure
Educating
Themes
How to work with specific audience to meet certain goals
Dealing with resistance
Music
Practical Application
Planning & sharing in break out rooms
Putting The Work Into Practice:
Cultivate your unique creative voice and boost your confidence through hands-on practice. Each training participant will have an opportunity to co-facilitate a directive and receive feedback from peers.
Pre-requisite
This training requires no prior formal art training or education. A background in therapy and counseling techniques is helpful, but not necessary.
The Setting
Nestled in the Appalacian mountains, our peaceful retreat cabin is the perfect setting for a therapeutic art-making experience. Surrounded by inspiring nature and panoramic views, it’s designed to foster creativity and renewal. Enjoy the chef’s kitchen, cozy fireside spaces, and a hot tub under the starry sky as you unwind and connect with the natural beauty around you. This serene getaway is close enough to city life yet offers a secluded escape, providing the ideal environment for relaxation and artistic exploration.
Investment
Early-Bird Before Feb 1st
Without Lodging (includes breakfast, lunch and snacks): $945
With Lodging - Thrs, Fri & Sat nights (all meals included except Thursday):
Single Occupancy: $1,445
Double Occupancy: $1,245
All materials are included. Option to stay Thursday night at no extra cost.
After Feb 1st
Without Lodging (includes breakfast, lunch and snacks): $1,045
With Lodging - Fri & Sat nights (all meals included except Thursday):
Single Occupancy: $1,645 (Only 2 spots left)
Double Occupancy: $1,445 (sold out)
All materials are included. Option to stay Thursday night at no extra cost.
Cancellation Policy
This training is non-refundable. However, if you are unable to join, it can be used as a credit toward a future training online or in-person.
In the event that we are unable to arrive to the training due to border closure or any other natural disaster sometime before May 1st, 2027, after one or more unsuccessful attempts to secure a change of date due to ongoing travel restrictions/border closure, all guests will receive a full refund of the monies paid to attend the training.
I, Ella Dufrene reserve the right to cancel the training. If I need to cancel the for any reason, all monies paid will be refunded in full. I also reserve the right to determine if you are not a good fit for this training (in which case, your deposit will be refunded in full).
Trip cancellation insurance is always recommended whenever making travel plans.
Please note: This training is designed to introduce participants to the principles and practices of therapeutic art-making for personal growth, self-awareness, and use within ethically appropriate, non-clinical settings.
It is not a certification in art therapy, nor does it qualify participants to practice as art therapists.
Art therapy is a regulated mental health profession that requires a graduate degree, supervised clinical hours, and credentialing through appropriate licensing bodies.
This training is ideal for artists, educators, wellness professionals, therapists, and community leaders who wish to integrate creative, mindful art practices into their existing work while honoring the boundaries and ethics of the art therapy profession.