Kinship is a sure and certain sense that we belong to each other... Kinship is not a reward bestowed at the end. It’s here, it’s now, it’s at hand and within our reach. And this moment is the only one available to us.
— Gregory Boyle

Community — Michaelanne Helms

BIOCVRESUME

I believe that collaborative art making fosters the sure and certain sense that we all belong to one another in kinship*. I am a recent graduate of Pratt Institute with a MPS degree in Art Therapy in Creativity Development. I have 18 years of prior experience working as a Community Artist. I employ clinical, visual art, and teaching skills to provide therapeutic spaces for individuals and groups to progress toward mutual healing and growth. Curiosity and love fuel my work. Connection energizes me. I believe that everyone is an expert in their own journey and that all of our lives hold meaning and purpose and are uniquely developing. I care about dispelling the illusion of our separateness and resisting the powers of injustice that work to deny the kinship of our common humanity. Through my work, I hope to underscore the love that is accessible to us, granted in the current moment, and available to progress us toward healing and hope.

I am licensed in the state of Maryland as a Graduate Professional Art Therapist (LGPAT) and am currently working to achieve my Professional Counseling License (LGPC). My prior experiences have helped me to developed proficiency working with adolescents and adults using traditional therapeutic approaches in conjunction with art materials to process trauma, grief, relational dynamics, and self development. I have worked closely with people struggling with depression, anxiety, disordered eating, addiction, primary and secondary traumatic stress, the impact of incarceration, and adjustment to life transitions. I’m excited to find ways to pair my passion for individual and community empowerment with my clinical training to be of assistance.

  • My ideas around kinship have been tenderly shaped by the words of Gregory Boyle in his book Barking to the Choir.