Deb Shoemaker, ATR-BC, LPC
Board Certified Registered Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor

Deb Shoemaker, ATR-BC, LPC, Board Certified Registered Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, comes to the field of art therapy as a life long dream since high school where she attended North  Carolina School of the Arts and discovered the field of Art Therapy.

Ms. Shoemaker remembers even as a young child always making art, and found the art room a safe haven on many childhood moves. In high school she discovered that the reason she created art was to express herself and wanted to help others experience art as a form of self-expression and self-discovery. Her journey has led her to art education. She is a North Carolina K-12 certified art teacher and TEACCH trained, experienced in working with children and adolescents who have Autism. Together with Art Therapy and Art Education, Deb has over 18 years of experience. She has experience and knowledge working with a variety of populations; including Psychiatric and other mental health issues, developmental, elderly, children, autism.

Trained in Art Therapy Assessments, DBT,and CBT, Ms. Shoemaker incorporates relaxation, guided imagery and yoga techniques into her art therapy. Ms. Shoemaker also has extensive training in play therapy, and uses play therapy techniques in her practice.

Ms. Shoemaker provides services for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Her specializations include: Autism/Asperger's, Grief and Loss, Depression, Adjustment Disorder, Stress Management, and Personal Growth. She is also available for supervision of mental health care professionals.

She is also trained and certified in level II MARI assessments (Mandala Assessment Research Instrument) and is an active member of the American Art Therapy Association, a founding member of the Art Therapy Association of North Carolina, a member of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health), Cameron Art Museum and a Volunteer for No Boundaries Inc., an international artist's colony.

When Ms. Shoemaker is not working she can be found on or near the water with her husband. She spends time with family and friends and her two dogs Sarah and Ellie. Her favorite quote is ..." the more self-awareness a person has, the more alive s/he is" Rollo May

Deb Shoemaker, ATR-BC, LPC:
Art Therapy