Art Therapy with Marvea Johnson
As a lifelong learner, I am passionate about walking alongside those who are curious or courageous enough to explore their doubts and discover the growth that can emerge from life’s challenges. With over five years of experience, I am a nationally credentialed, board-certified Art Therapist who specializes in using creativity as a powerful tool for self-discovery and healing.
A Compassionate and Creative Approach to Therapy
When Words Aren't Enough
Sometimes, the things we carry can’t be put into words. Grief, anxiety, trauma—they have a way of weaving themselves into our bodies, creating tension we don’t always understand. But through art, we can begin to untangle that weight.
Art therapy isn’t just painting for pleasure—it’s a clinically supported process that helps children, adults, and families express what words can’t always reach.
In Aiea, where family and aloha spirit run deep, art therapy offers a culturally sensitive, emotionally safe space to heal—together.
What Is Art Therapy and How Does It Work
Art therapy is the key that unlocks the door to emotions we may not even know we’re hiding.
At its core, art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses the creative process—drawing, painting, sculpting, collaging—as a pathway to explore emotions, reduce stress, improve self-esteem, and foster healing. It’s not about creating a masterpiece. It’s about making meaning.
Art therapy works by engaging the parts of the brain that traditional talk therapy may not always reach—especially for children or those who’ve experienced trauma.
What Happens During an Art Therapy Session
Imagine walking into a calm, light-filled space with the scent of eucalyptus in the air. A table invites you to sit. Brushes, pencils, clay, pastels—all waiting, like open doors to parts of yourself you may have tucked away. There’s no pressure. No judgment. Just you, the materials, and a compassionate guide who helps you begin the journey inward.
That’s what art therapy feels like.
The Flow of a Session
A typical art therapy session usually follows three stages:
Check-In – A warm, guided moment to talk or reflect on how you’re feeling.
Art-Making – Using materials like paint, collage, or sculpture to express emotions.
Reflection & Discussion – Talking about what came up, exploring meaning, and gaining insight.
We incorporate elements of local culture to create resonance and comfort. For children, sessions might include story-drawing or mask-making. For adults, it may involve vision boards or symbolic self-portraits. Each session is tailored to the person’s needs and emotional state.
Why It Works for Families
Art allows communication to flow where words get stuck—especially between parents and children. Shared sessions can help families strengthen emotional bonds, foster empathy, and navigate stress or transitions together.
In Hawaiian culture, where ‘ohana is central, this type of therapy becomes a shared healing experience.
Sometimes, all it takes is a paintbrush to say, “I’m hurting.” And a blank canvas to say, “You’re safe here.”
The Three Elements of Art Therapy
Art therapy in Aiea isn’t just about what you create—it’s about what happens while you create, what you see in the finished piece, and how you reflect on it afterward. These three parts—process, product, and reflection—form the heart of art therapy.
Process: The healing happens in the act of creating—no need for perfection.
Product: The finished piece often reveals insights and emotions the client didn’t know they were carrying.
Reflection: This is where the therapist helps make meaning from the image, fostering emotional clarity and growth.
Together, they help unlock emotions through color and shape, drawing a path through confusion, fear, or sadness and into clarity, peace, and connection.
Art Therapy is a Powerful tool
Art therapy in Aiea is powerful because it reaches where talking sometimes cannot. It opens a back door into the heart, where memories, emotions, and inner truths wait quietly for someone to ask—not with questions, but with color, shape, and movement.
For children and adults alike, trauma often lives in the body—tight muscles, racing thoughts, restless sleep. Verbal therapy can be helpful, but only if the client is ready to articulate.
Art therapy in Aiea steps in gently when words falter. It allows a person to draw the emotion before they name it, to express grief through a swirling storm of pastels, or to whisper their anger through heavy strokes of charcoal.
What Happens in the Brain During Art Therapy?
Art-making is a full-brain experience. It activates emotional centers, sensory integration, and decision-making areas, helping reduce stress and promote emotional regulation.
Especially for trauma, it enables symbolic processing, offering safe distance from overwhelming emotions.
When you pick up a paintbrush, something remarkable begins to happen—not just on the canvas, but deep inside your brain. Art therapy doesn’t just feel good; it rewires emotional patterns, unlocks memory networks, and helps regulate mood and trauma responses.
It’s like turning on the lights in a room you didn’t know was dark.
A Healing Resource for Our Community
Art therapy in Aiea isn’t limited to one type of disorder—it’s a versatile, culturally adaptable pathway to healing, grounded in neuroscience and guided by empathy. Whether you’re struggling quietly or supporting a loved one, art therapy may offer a safe, meaningful place to begin.
The Length of Art Therapy
- Short-term (4–6 sessions): Adjustment, grief, or stress
- Medium-term (3–6 months): Depression, emotional regulation
- Long-term (6+ months): Trauma, family healing, neurodivergent support
Healing is a layered journey. Art therapy allows each layer to emerge in its own time.
Is Art Therapy for Me
Ask yourself:
- Do I struggle to express emotions?
- Do I or my child find talk therapy difficult?
- Am I open to exploring emotions creatively?
If yes, then art therapy may be a gentle way forward.
Art Therapy Can Help With
- Anxiety & Panic Disorders
- Depression
- PTSD & Trauma
- Grief & Loss
- Autism & ADHD
- Eating Disorders
- Behavioral / Emotional Issues in Children
Art therapy adapts across age, culture, and need. It’s a healing bridge.
Who Needs Art Therapy
Everyone.
- Children: behavioral challenges, trauma
- Teens: identity, anxiety, regulation
- Adults: burnout, grief, chronic stress
- Families: conflict, divorce, loss
Healing doesn’t require a crisis—just willingness.
A New Way to Heal
In a world that often demands we stay strong, art therapy gives us permission to be soft.
It invites us to sit with our feelings—not to fix them right away, but to understand them. To color outside the lines. To tear paper, blend colors, and build bridges between heart and mind, past and present, parent and child.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, helping your child through a difficult time, or feeling like your own emotions have nowhere to go, art therapy may be the space you’ve been searching for.
In Aiea, Healing Begins With Expression
Where the spirit of ʻohana and aloha flow through everyday life, art therapy offers a deeply respectful, culturally sensitive path to mental wellness. It honors the healing power of creativity and the sacred strength of connection.
You don’t need to be good at art.
You don’t need to have the right words.
You just need to begin.
Getting Started is Easy!
Schedule Your Free Consultation
We will start with a 15-minute consultation to discuss what is bringing you to therapy and how I might be able to help.
Begin Your Therapy Sessions
During the first few sessions, we will explore how you’re feeling and what your goals for therapy are. I will create a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
Start Your Journey to Living with Meaning and Impact
Together we will discover ways to help you live a life more connected with yourself and others.