Gabriella Torres

I am a Creative Arts Therapist with over 15 years of experience — and if you've never heard of creative arts therapy, let me tell you: it's therapy, but it meets you in the places words sometimes can't reach. I've worked across nearly every corner of the mental health world: inpatient psychiatric units, outpatient treatment centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, domestic violence programs, schools, and even equestrian therapy settings. I've sat with children processing things no child should have to process. I've worked alongside adults with Alzheimer's who rediscovered joy through color and rhythm when language had already slipped away. I've supported individuals in recovery from substance use, survivors of abuse and trauma, people with developmental and physical disabilities, and patients navigating some of the hardest moments of their lives. Today, I work as a Creative Arts Therapist on behavioral health inpatient psychiatric units, with both adult and child patients. My background is broad because healing is broad — and I've dedicated my career to finding the approach that actually works for each person in front of me.

Talk therapy is powerful — but it isn't the only door into healing. I use art therapy, play therapy, drama therapy, and recreational therapy to help clients access emotions, memories, and parts of themselves that don't always come out in conversation. My approach is expressive, adaptive, and deeply client-centered — which means I'm not wedded to one method. If you need to paint something out, we paint. If movement or storytelling unlocks something words can't, we go there. I've worked with individuals and groups across the full lifespan — from children navigating trauma to older adults managing cognitive decline — and across populations that have taught me how resilient, layered, and creative the human spirit truly is. I bring that reverence into every session. You don't need to be an artist. You don't need to be anything other than willing to explore.

Expect something a little different. Our first session won't start with a blank stare across a sterile office waiting for you to speak. It will feel more like an exploration — a gentle introduction to the idea that healing doesn't have to look like sitting still and finding the right words. We'll talk about what's brought you in, what you've tried before, and what feels safe. I'll introduce you to how creative arts therapy works and what it might look like for you specifically. Most importantly, I'll listen — not just to what you say, but to how you say it, what you can't quite articulate yet, and what your creative instincts tell us before your mind catches up. You may leave our first session surprised by how much came through. That's usually a good sign.