Background & Bio
From managing stress, to finding your Self, working with Joanna will empower you to create new opportunities to change your life !
Joanna is a Teacher, Mentor and Professional Certified Life and Therapeutic Art Coach. She has her MA in Clinical Depth Psychology and BA in Mental Health and Human Services. She is also a former MFT and Behavioral Therapist. She has worked as an Educator (now in her 30th year) and specializes in Experiential Process Work & Expressive Arts – focusing on Human Development & Personal Growth. She provides “Education through the Power of Experience,” specializing in Expressive Healing Arts and uses creative methods to help individuals to achieve Self-Help and Personal Growth to Empower and Activate their “Self” to Create Positive Change in their life!
Being a Childhood Cancer survivor has been a major life influence and large contributor to her calling as a helping professional, that also inspired her focus in Expressive Healing Arts as well. Her experience using Art therapeutically, had a profound impact on her healing and recovery. Growing up, the experiences of individuals such as Anne Frank and Frida Kahlo, resonated with her personally and motivated her professionally as well; motivating her to further understand her own experience and how to use this insight to teach & help others! This interest graduated to intrigue with Carl Jung and Marion Woodman, with their abilities to utilize Expressive Arts for personal Healing & Recovery. Engrossed in her quest, she was dedicated in her mission.
I am a Survivor, yet we all are , everyday, in all we do – either Consciously or Unconsciously… We are Surviving. Perceivably my Life Experience; whether Science, Miracle or Magic,… it may be considered as a true gift of Insight, or a state of Conscious Awareness ? It could be considered a lot of things, and in deed It should be considered at that…Yet , Consider this; what began as a child’s dream to save the world, truly became a Life-Changing Experience for me… Proving in itself, that..
Dreams do come True & Life is what You Make it !
As a True Life Artist; Joanna has engaged in the use of Art throughout her life, as her own process of Self-help, from journalling and creative writing, to drawing and painting, singing and dancing etc…enjoying the elements of Creative and Expressive Arts helped her to follow her inspiration and creative flow; ultimately as a form of uninhibited Self-Expression. These experiences were instrumental in opening the door to so much more!
Her life experiences inspired her to help others and her goal was clear; to create her own program and business, where she could educate others about her discovery. Yet, this was before fields such as Art therapy, Mindfulness or Expressive Arts were mainstreamed concepts in the Health and Wellness Industry; considerably, an innovator in her time, she forged her own road. Through time and dedication, she integrated her ideas and expanded her knowledge into a hand-tailored educational coaching system and program and achieved her dream of starting her own business. In a place now, where the world has shifted and people became aware of using Art as Therapy and conceptually, the often trendy appeal of Mindfulness, she is an expert and authority in this field, as both an Educator and Coach. The fundamentals of her program have been backed up with research and evidence based data, yet provide a unique program experience for each individual. It is what she does as a strategist, educator and creative, wrapped up in one, that is truly inspiring !
She engages genuinely, providing unbiased and constructive support. She is patient, open and understanding, able to adapt her skills to meet the needs of all individuals. With her specialty in education and development , as well as her clinical training; her coaching & classes are both motivational and constructive, with a creative element that provides both freedom and support.
- She is a Writer, Researcher and Creative Life Artist. She loves to sing, dance, draw, paint , sculpt and more! She is a Creative in all aspects of the word in all she does.
- She has a working art studio and gallery in The Arts District Los Angeles, where she also conducts individual and group sessions.
- She has practiced Kundalini Yoga for over 10 years, and her Spiritual Name – Jiwan Bhakti Kaur ~ means “Devoted to the Devine.”
- She is certified in Developmental/Somatic Yoga.
- She researched and published her Thesis to empirically prove the benefits of Art and Imagination: MODERN SOCIETY AND THE DEVELOPING ADOLESCENT: TECHNOLOGY VERSUS IMAGINATION © 2009 Joanna M. Gates (All rights reserved).Thesis Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzq7bbZS_tGvRVNEVDhGWkxkSldfcDJTNG1hTHU2MG1LVDIw/viewusp=drivesdk
- Currently, she is developing a book series and educational podcast.
- She has been featured in collaboration with Gump #Stories, supporting Expressive Arts for Mental Health as well as VoyageLA, Shout Out LA , Business Talk Radio and Tune in Radio
- She has developed a community outreach program that collaborates with schools and other organizations supporting Art and Education; providing student, teacher and parent training, Psychoeducation and Motivational/ Public Speaking.
Paying it Forward
As an Advocate and Activist for Arts and Education, working on her campaign “Imagin-Action” , she is working toward creating a Non-Profit Organization to continue toward her mission to provide education and support; helping people to help themselves !
Contribute today and help with materials and supplies for Philanthropic community outreach programs to support Advocacy & Activism for Art & Education !
~ Much Gratitude ~
She has been featured in VoyageLA Magazine, ShoutOut LA , Business Talk Radio, Tune in Radio and Gump #Stories (supporting Expressive Arts for Mental Health), as an innovative business owner, inspiring education and awareness in throughout the community!
