Megan (she/her) strives to provide a safe and non-judgemental space for children and adolescents to process their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. She is experienced and passionate in working with individuals with chronic illness, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, Bipolar I and II, and schizophrenia. Art therapy can help clients open up, connect, and feel understood. All experience levels are welcome in art therapy. Exploring materials and building confidence is part of the process. Megan grew up in Maryland and continues to call it home with her fiancé and their two cats. She can often be found crocheting, painting, and creating ceramic sculptures. She has connected with friends and neighbors through sharing her cooking and baked goods.

Training and Education

Megan Gerst is pursuing a Master’s degree in Art Therapy at Notre Dame of Maryland University. She previously interned for a year at the University of Maryland Medical Center in the child and adolescent inpatient psychiatry unit. She helped establish the art therapy programming on the unit and provided patients with 1:1 and group art therapy sessions. Before studying art therapy, she earned a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in chemistry at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA. She went on to work as a lead mental health worker at Sheppard Pratt on the adolescent female crisis stabilization unit for two years. Megan is excited to continue her education and hopes to further her experience in developing long-term Art Therapy relationships with her clients and their families.

Supervisor: Kelsey Dugan, LCPAT, ATR-BC

Therapeutic Approach

Art therapy is a therapeutic approach that combines creative expression and talk therapy. This approach often suits children and adolescents very well as they might not have the words or feel comfortable opening up through talking alone. Megan utilizes a trauma-informed approach focusing on establishing safety, externalizing events, and creating a space that empowers clients in making choices. She works from a positive, person-centered art therapy framework. Positive psychology is a strengths-based approach that focuses on how to cultivate more positive emotions, increase happiness and well-being through finding meaning and purpose in life. Person-centered art therapy is practiced with unconditional positive regard, trusting that providing a safe environment can facilitate authentic creative expressions and growth. Megan combines a combination of exploring what clients bring to session, providing directives and integrating therapeutic education that aligns with the clients’ goals.