Blue Giant Therapy

Client-led, talk and creative psychotherapy for Teens, Adults and Groups in Ontario, Canada.

About

Anna M. Szaflarski

(she/her), Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), DTATI-Candidate

I am passionate about inviting individuals into the creative process when they need it most. After 20 years of exhibiting and practicing art in Berlin, Germany, I returned to Canada to retrain as an art psychotherapist at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. Working with in-patient and out-patient adults and young adults undergoing cancer treatment, with people with mental illness and people fleeing violence, I have developed an approach that prioritizes reconnecting people with themselves, their values and the relationships that are most important to them.

Art therapy requires absolutely no art experience. It invites people to engage in the arts of all kinds to express, self-regulate and creatively explore issues. Informed by Narrative Therapy, mindfulness and Polyvagal Theory, my way of working is client-led. Some of us need to start in the body; others need to start with the story and go from there. Reach out, and let’s begin.

I was born to a family of first-generation settlers in St. Catharines, Ontario, on the ancestral lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples.

What I offer

Talk and creative psychotherapy for Teens, Adults and Groups in Ontario, Canada. Individual sessions are currently offered virtually only.

People often come to therapy during times of transition, uncertainty, illness, loss or emotional overwhelm. You may be experiencing anxiety, grief, low mood, or a sense of disconnection from self or others. You may struggle to put experiences into words, or feel like traditional talk therapy hasn’t quite reached the heart of what you’re going through.

In therapy, we can create a space you can feel safe, seen, and supported without judgment. Through talk, body work and/or creativity, we will process emotions, gain insight, reconnect with self, or simply create a place where you can breathe and be yourself. Goals often include finding clarity, building inner resilience, improving relationships, or making meaning of life experiences.

With a foundation in art therapy, narrative practice, and trauma-informed care and additional training in DBT and Polyvagal approaches, I have experience supporting individuals and groups facing a range of issues, including but not limited to:

Anxiety, trauma, medical trauma, self-doubt, “stuck-ness”, professional and personal burnout, grief, chronic pain, severe and chronic illness, depression, family and relationship challenges, intimate partner violence, mental illness, helplessness, intergenerational trauma.

Contact me about the following services:

Free 20-minute phone consultation.
Individual Virtual Therapy Session: 50-minute online therapy session.
Group Art Therapy Programming: Limited series and/or open-ended group art therapy custom-tailored for your organization. Facilitated virtually or on-site. Learn more about past collaborations here

Past Group Therapy Collaborations

Gilda’s Club Toronto, Art Therapy Cancer Support Group

8-week (1x wk, 1.5 hrs) Virtual art therapy group for adults currently in treatment or recently diagnosed.

Focusing on emotional expression, community building, and self-regulation, including mindfulness, artistic exercises and group discussion. Participants are invited to engage with topics at their own pace and comfort level. Cancer support creates a safe, non-judgmental space to talk about cancer, grief, loss and disorientation.

The Redwood, Shelter for Women and Children

16- week, drop-in art therapy for adult residents fleeing domestic violence.

Guided by a strength-based, trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approach. Two-hour sessions included mindfulness exercises, art activities, and discussions. Participants were invited to reflect on their journey, goals, and strengths, and to find connection with other residents. Media used included paint, oil pastels, pencil crayons, pencils, crafting materials, and clay. Co-facilitated with Theresa Slater, RP (Qualifying), DTATI-candidate .

Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

8-week in-person art therapy program for young adults (18-40) living with cancer and in treatment.

Sessions focused on emotional and artistic expression, story-telling, somatic experiencing and community building. Each session included mindfulness, guided art exercises and discussion. Participants were invited to explore at their own pace, with the ability to speak and express honestly to their cancer journeys, including issues concerning grief and loss, medical trauma, disorientation and existential fears.

Co-facilitated with Jodi Crawford, RP (Qualifying), DTATI-candidate.

Our Place Community of Hope, Toronto

18-week in-person drop-in art therapy group for adults living with mental illness.

Guided by a strength-based, trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approach. Two-hour sessions included mindfulness exercises, art activities, and discussions. Participants were invited to reflect on and build their emotional regulation, share their hopes and dreams, and connect with what is most meaningful in their lives.

Media used included paint, oil pastels, pencil crayons, pencils, crafting materials, and clay. Co-facilitated with Theresa Slater, RP (Qualifying), DTATI-candidate.