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Nurturing Emotional Growth
Megan's Therapeutic Approach
At New Leaf Creative Counseling, I specialize in combining art and talk therapy to support individuals in their mental health journey. My approach will encourage you to express yourself through various creative mediums, fostering a safe and open environment for healing. By integrating artistic practices with therapeutic dialogues, I will empower you to explore your feelings, gain insights, and cultivate self-awareness.
My office is designed for both creative expression and reflective counseling. Full of plants and sunlight, I designed the office space to provide a refreshing and peaceful experience for all who enter. I believe in the transformative power of creativity and its ability to facilitate meaningful change. I am here to support you every step of the way, empowering you to embrace your unique path toward mental wellness and emotional resilience.
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About Me
I grew up in the tiny town of Galva, KS and have been creative since I was a little girl. I experienced my own mental health struggles in childhood and my teen years, and used art as an outlet for the pain from bullying and subsequent depression and eating disorders. I saw firsthand the healing power of creative expression for my own mental health and wanted to share that blessing with others.
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I started my art therapy journey in 2004, when I chose to switch my major from Graphic Design to Pre-Art Therapy while pursing an under-graduate degree at Kansas State University. For eight months between my Junior and Senior year at KSU, I had the opportunity to practice introspective art with children and teens in Namibia and Lesotho, Africa during an independent study abroad and Africa Inland Missions.
After I returned home in 2006, I went back to KSU finish my degree and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Pre-Art Therapy...which is a completely useless degree without a master's degree and mental health license! That didn't come until nearly 15 years later shortly after Covid. Between 2007 and 2021, I had become a wife, stay-at-home mom of two sons, and had a thriving Etsy shop. After much prayer, I suddenly realized that God had called me back to finish what I started. I graduated in May 2024 from Emporia State University with two Masters of Science degrees-- one in Mental Health Counseling and one in Art Therapy in Counseling. I am now a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Registered Art Therapist (ATR-P), and hold the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential.
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I have experience working non-clinically with a wide range of populations and age-groups including kids in daycare, teens in foster care and residential homes, mentally disabled adults, and elderly folks in nursing homes. I have bachelor's and master's level internship experience working with minority children and teens in a 3rd world country, inner-city youth, low-income populations, those in the LGBTQ community, & sex trafficking survivors and those at risk of exploitation such as those who are homeless and/or struggling with substance abuse.
I have clinical experience working therapeutically with individuals, couples/families, and groups in a wide range of ages, populations, and mental health needs, including some listed above, as I have worked in community mental health since Sept. 2024.
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I decided to start a private practice to bring art therapy to rural populations in central Kansas, as the closest registered art therapist is in Wichita until New Leaf Creative Counseling was born.