Creating Horizons - Art Therapy and Psychotherapy Services

Partnering with the Museum to offer an an Altered Book Journal workshop on June 17th. Call the Museim at 705-360-2617 to register! Limited spaces available.

Hello Timmins and James Bay, it's me, your friendly neighborhood Art Therapist! ☀️

For those who haven't met me, my name is Erika Johnson and I'm an Art Psychotherapist (Qualifying) BA, DKATI, RPQ. I have recently opened my private practice of ✨Creating Horizons✨ and thought it was about time to introduce myself.

Born and raised in Windsor, I've been living in Timmins for the past 10 years. Drawn to the edge of the Boreal Forest, I'm often found outdoors either on a snowmobile or 4-wheeler, and either harvesting, foraging, homesteading, or simply existing amidst the woods.

I've always said that I was an artist first and therapist second. My art practice is something that rumbles beneath my day to day existence as I do deep dives into exploring who I am, and my role in my community. You can see this way of existence within my therapeutic practice doing artist explorative therapy sessions with other individuals, or in my land-based practice around the northern communities. I strive for genuine consistency so the person you will meet on the street in is the same person you will have in your therapeutic session. Our world is crazy enough, we could use a bit of kindness and human connection in our town! ☀️

I previously worked for Mushkegowuk Council for the past 7 years and fell in love with the north and the communities. Surrounding my Anti-Oppressive, Holistic and Jungian frameworks of working, being within the communities allowed me the chance to slow down, and truly learn what it means to listen. Hearing not just to respond, but to feel and be alongside someone and their journey.

Creating Horizons name was born in honor of my relationship with the land that has been growing since leaving the mountains of British Columbia after my degree. It was a promise to myself to acknowledge where all my new horizons would take me. It was to take the moments to pause, take each day at a time, with every new landscape, every new relationship, and that it was my story to create.

I'm excited to begin this chapter with new opportunities that include groups and individual 1-1 psychotherapy services. For more information, and or inquiry for a consultation, visit my website https://www.creatinghorizonstherapy.com/contact-8

I look forward to getting to know you! ☀️

A special thank you Isaac with IJB Media for the lovely photos!

Now Accepting Individual Art Psychotherapy clients at Creating Horizons ☀️

As a Qualifying Psychotherapist, some benefit providers are covered (i.e Sun Life). To book your free consultation, visit https://creatinghorizonstherapy.janeapp.com/ /1 or email Erika at [email protected]

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www.creatinghorizonstherapy.com

First return to the coast as Creating Horizons and with a familiar face flying me home from work 💙 Told you I wouldn't be away for long.

See you again in a month Weenusk! Holding you all in my thoughts and my heart.

Labor of love. This man, who looks like he's a part of the equipment, has spent as much time in this new space as I have making it happen. we had quite the challenge polishing up this space and bringing it to what it is now. I wouldn't be here without his help and support to bring this part of our Horizon enterprise to life! He believes in me some days more than I believe in myself and totally knows my love languages are Words of Affirmation with a smidgen of Acts of Service in this case! ☀️

Keep an eye out for a house warming in March!

I'm headed your way next week Weenusk!

If you're interested in attending the following Art Therapy series, reach out to Emilie! Her email is below in the poster.

Renovating has been the most exciting and truly exhausting process of getting off the ground. However, with the first coats of yellow it truly does brighten up the perspective that this is real! ☀️

My first workshop announcement as Creating Horizons through Waxwing Commons!

I have begun a series that is close to my heart and the vast variety of land that surrounds us across the globe. Inspired by attending a workshop with one of my mentors who offered the metaphor of landscape in our sessions, I wanted to share this beautiful perspective using Art Therapy with Timmins; especially in our deepest cold of winter.

We have hosted our first one last night (Muskegs, Meadows and Bogs) and can't wait for the others. It was a beautiful time to be able to just sit with ourselves, and not worry about the busy-ness of the day to day lives. Taking time to play, to explore and to take care of ourselves in community.

Click on the link for more of a description and to sign up through waxwing's workshop portal! Any questions, don't hesitate to message me! :)

So the news is official!

After 7 dedicated years with Mushkegowuk Council's Youth Department, I have decided to expand my services and begin my journey into private practice based out of Timmins. For all my friends and work partners I have made up the James Bay Coast, don't worry, I still have plans to travel and be a continuous support for those that have shaped me and helped me grow all these years. The lands of the coast have my heart and so do its people.

The Art of Healing ᐅᔑᒋᑫ·ᐃᐣ ᑲᑭᒋᐃ·ᐁᒪᑲᐣ has been such a beautiful thing to bring to life and while I'm sad to let it go, I am looking forward to all the new people and opportunities that this new Horizon will invite in. My last day with Mushkegowuk Council is this Friday.

Over the next month I will be adding more to my website, a formal introduction of me, completing renovations of my office that will be in Porcupine, and updates of programming that is being offered! Feel free to email me with any inquiries you may have regarding upcoming services, and I look forward to offering these opportunities in my own back yard

STAY TUNED! ☀️

"Looking Up"

There are changes to be announced this week that has left me musing over a recent, personal, art therapy experience.

While Art Therapy is often focused on process over product, sometimes, our product surprises us and is just as pleasant as the process of its creation. I always struggled with the process in my art, finding it too rushed and wanting more time to being it to a level of completion where I deamed it as finished. It has been a process of its own to work with perfectionism, uncertainty in the unfinished, and capturing my minds eye. However, my artist side is always satisfied when I process works and is visually pleasing in the product.

This piece was created in a state of process under the theme of "Canopy" in a collective group space. While jungles, bird song and the breeze filled my mind at first, I drew inward towards a familiar canopy in this frosty winter time. I'm on the trails of the north. Looking Up through the narrow passage ways of pine, spruce, birch and cedar towards the sliver of sun and flakes that surround and envelope me. I am on a journey, the horizon is visible, and even the unfamiliar path has a familiar feeling. Comforted in the cold, safe in its embrace.