Art Therapy & Counseling

Emerald Leaf Counseling LLC

Currently offering:

- Virtual sessions (Virginia and Maryland)
- Home visits (Arlington/Falls Church area)

I learn about myself the most when I make art, and I find this to be true for my clients as well. During a session, we will talk, look at problems from different perspectives and explore what your thoughts, emotions, and experiences may mean. I will also use creative ways to help you look at what's inside of you, such as writing exercise, mindfulness practice, and art making. Because these alternative ways quiet your analytical side, you may hear what your true self is trying to tell you better. Emotions such as sadness and anxiety can have important messages for us. I'd be glad to partner with you and figure out what your feelings actually mean. Art can be used as a way to find out who you are and how you can transform your past experiences to empower the present self.

I am committed to practicing therapy in ways that reduce oppression in the society and within ourselves. During sessions, we will process how oppression and cultural norms influence your lived experiences and beliefs. Exploration of racial/cultural identities is an important part of therapy for many clients.

I often work work with...

Artists
Therapists
Adults (18+)
Older adults and retired individuals
People of Color/ individuals with marginalized ethnic backgrounds
Individuals who grew up in different countries
Individuals whose parents are immigrants
Individuals with medical illnesses and disabilities
Individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+

Each session is 50 min long.

Your art therapy sessions may be covered by your health insurance. Information about fees and insurances can be found here.

Session can be conducted in English or Japanese.

Art Therapy

Sometimes what we feel and think are too difficult to put into words. In art therapy, we look inside of ourselves through images and symbols. We can also use the creative process to bring a change--e.g. anxiety reduction, improving mood, processing grief, managing relationships more effectively.

No artistic talent or prior art experience is necessary. How you relate to your art is how you relate to your life. I will be glad to partner with you if you wish to cultivate self-awareness through artmaking.

More about art therapy can be found at

American Art Therapy Association's website here.

Photo by Dushawn Jovic on Unsplash

Additional information

Miki Nishida Goerdt
LCSW, LCSW-C, ATR-BC

Licenses and Credential:

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Virginia)
Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical (Maryland)
Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC)

Memberships and Affiliations:

Art Therapy Credential Board www.atcb.org
Virginia Board of Social Work www.dhp.virginia.gov/social/
Adjunct faculty at George Washington University, Art Therapy Graduate Program

*I am a qualified supervisor for clinical supervison (LCSW in Virginia) & Maryland LCPAT license. I also provide supervision for ATR (Art therapy credential by ATCB).

If you are interested in starting supervision, more info can be found here.

Workshops & Presentations

Bridging gaps: Art therapy and disability justice in mental health (3/2025), a panel discussion,

George Washington University Graduate Art Therapy Program Learning Center CEU series. Virtual.

Management of Holiday Stress (11/2024), workshop, September House, Rockville, MD

Appreciation or appropriation? Interrogating art therapy interventions (10/2024), presentation,

American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA

Illuminating the Shadows: Art-based Collaborative Autoethnography of Asian Art Therapy

Educators (10/2024), American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA

Embodying the contexts: Asian and Asian American Art Therapists (5/2023), a panel discussion,

American Art Therapy Association, virtual

Building Solidarity among BIPOC Communities (Nov 2022), Workshop at American Art Therapy

Association, Minneapolis, MN

Art Therapy with Older Adults: Creativity as a Healing Tool (Nov 2022), Presentation at

Mid-Atlantic Chapter Aging Life Care Association Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA

Art therapy: Art as a tool for self-care and healing – Presentation (10/2021), Second virtual

wellness and mental health summit, Northern Virginia Community College

Intra-cultural Practice for Asian Art Therapists – Presentation (3/2021), 5th Annual Virtual

Integrated Creative Arts Therapy Conferences, Institute for Therapy Through the Arts

Intracultural Communication for BIPOC Art Therapists - Focus Group (11/2020), American Art

Therapy Association Annual Conference, Virtual

Awakening your heart; Mindfulness & Art workshop (2017 – 2020), Bi monthly art therapy

workshop at Circle Art Studio, Fairfax, VA

Printmaking Techniques with CBT Interventions (10/2017), Full-day workshop at Expressive

Therapies Summit in New York, NY

Art Therapy for Older Adults with Mental Illness (3/2016), Half-day workshop at the annual

conference of National Association of Social Workers Virginia Chapter, Richmond, VA

Publications

Goerdt, M. N. (2023). Understanding Cultural Contexts through Japanese Printmaking: My

Experience as Art Therapist and Artist. American Art Therapy Association.

https://arttherapy.org/blog-cultural-contexts-through-japanese-printmaking/

Goerdt, M. N., Resurreccion, A. A. G., Taziyah, B., Johnson, R., Lorenzo de la Peña, S., &

Johnson, T. (2022) BIPOC Art Therapists: Antiracism Work Through the Virtual Circle,

Art Therapy, DOI: 10.1080/07421656.2021.2024318

Goerdt, M. (2021). Ethical Multicultural Practice: A Racist Comment in Group Art Therapy. In

T.J. Ling & J.M. Hauck (Eds.), Navigating ethical dilemmas in creative arts therapies: A

case-based approach. Routledge.

Goerdt, M. (2021). Moments of connection in art therapy with my Asian American and Native

Hawaiian/Pacific Islander clients, American Art therapy Association.

https://arttherapy.org/blog-art-therapy-with-aanhpi-clients/

Goerdt, M. (2020). My perspective as a BIPOC art therapist. American Art Therapy

Association. https://arttherapy.org/blog-my-perspectives-as-a-bipoc-art-therapist/

Goerdt, M. (2020). Intracultural Practice for Asian Art Therapists: "Are You one of Us, or Are You

One of them?" In Kitazawa, M. (Ed.), Asian Art Therapists: Navigating Art, Diversity, and

Culture. Routledge.

Nishida, M. & Strobino, J. (2005) Art Therapy with a Hemodialysis Patient: A Case

Analysis, Art Therapy, 22(4), 221-226, DOI: 10.1080/07421656.2005.10129517