Meet Rumi
Hello visitor, and welcome! I'm Rumi (they/them). I am a board-certified and licensed creative arts psychotherapist ATR-BC, LCAT, CLAT. I practice virtually in the states of New York and Connecticut. I received my BA in Psychology and Studio Art from Lawrence University as well as my Master’s degree in Art Therapy and Creative Development from Pratt Institute in 2019.
I've had a powerful relationship with the creative arts since I was a child; I LOVED clay, chalk, paint, and anything messy. Whenever I got angry, sad, excited, restless, or frustrated, I remember how satisfying it was to put my body into the art materials. In high school, I studied abroad and volunteered in various hospitals and nursing homes where I brought creative modalities of enjoyment to the patients and residents. I could see the power that nonverbal ways of connecting had on people's hearts and knew this was an area I needed to pursue. In college, I studied music performance and art; while I enjoyed it, I found that the technical focus and right or wrong way to express limiting. I realized that I wanted to pursue a creative path where there was no right or wrong way to create; in turn, this is what led me to eventually pursue a career as a creative art therapist.
My Art Therapy work has included supporting a wide range of vulnerable populations who were in need of mental health support, community services, and inner healing. I have worked with children below the poverty line and who had just immigrated to the United States, adults with co-occurring disorders of substance use and severe and persistent mental illness, and currently work with LGBTQIA+ teens and young adults who have a wide range of developmental, neurodivergent, and mental health needs.
For more personal facts about me: I am a white, non-binary, queer, neurodivergent, anti-zionist Ashkenazi jew living on the ancestral land of the Munsee Lenape people in Brooklyn NY. I am the proud owner of two adorable sibling cats and many houseplants. I enjoy everything about nature and being outdoors, Japan, and Japanese culture. I am also a big nerd (I love anime, sci-fi, LOTR, and old school Nintendo video games).
“You do not just wake up and become a butterfly growth is a process.”
— Rupi Kaur
My Approach
I value the fact that the therapeutic relationship is a collaborative one and building the kind of relationship where you feel safe, connected, seen, and heard is my top priority. Our emotions, our stories, and life experiences are the best teachers when it comes to understanding ourselves. In my work, I am committed to supporting you with making sense of those experiences so that you can be more in alignment with every part of your authentic being. I value clients who are curious, creative, motivated, and dedicated to their healing process.
As a board-certified and licensed Art Therapist, I can offer you both art and verbal psychotherapy to support you with whatever is bringing you to therapy. We can work creatively together towards your goals whether that is discovering/rediscovering your creative self, life blocks and how to navigate them, strengthening and uncovering personal qualities, and how you can incorporate a therapeutic art practice into your day-to-day routine/life.
Click the button below to learn more about what services I offer and what services are right for your needs.
This space is inclusive and welcoming to clients of all genders, races, ethnic identities, countries of origin, sexual orientations, faiths, abilities, and bodies.
Cultural Acknowledgments
As a white Creative Art Psychotherapist, it is my responsibility to acknowledge the marginalized cultures and communities that I have benefited from and from which my Westernized training of Creative Art Therapy is rooted and stems from which includes but is not limited to Indigenous, African, and Eastern practices.
I do my best to ensure that my practices are culturally competent, culturally sensitive, and informed. I understand that as a white person, my journey towards ethical allyship is a lifelong journey and understand that despite my best intentions, I am still capable of making mistakes and causing harm.
With this acknowledgment, I make a recurring effort to donate a portion of my earnings to BIPOC organizations annually.
Some of these organizations include:
Black Earth Farm Food Donations
Therapy for Black Girls
Manna-hatta fund
Urban Indigenous Collective
Asian Mental Health Collective
Welcome To Chinatown
Affliations
Certification in Levels 1 & 2 Integrative Parts Work, The Embody Lab
Board Certified (#21-340) and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (#002598) from the ATCB, Art Therapy Credentials Board and NYS Department of Education.
Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, CLAT (#ART.000097) from the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
Pratt Institute, MPS in Creative Arts Therapy and Creative Development, 2019
