spotted rabbit studio
About UsSince 2015
The Spotted Rabbit Story
Although Spotted Rabbit has become a beacon for those that feel othered and incapable of thriving in an ableist and capitalist society, it started out as a necessity.
As someone who was neurodivergent and struggling with hEDS and mast cell issues, I was out of options. No matter what kind of job I had, working full-time took everything I had, the medical system had no answers, and it was becoming increasingly clear I had to do something different. A career in art therapy had always been a consideration and it was at this point that I went back to school with the hope that I might earn enough to live on while only working part-time.
In 2015 Spotted Rabbit was launched as a way for me accommodate my own health issues and to create a safe space for I/DD adults who didn’t fit the available programming. With my own background in arts-based entrepreneurship and art education our first years focused on running a vocational based program for adults with developmental disabilities. It was here we proved what could happen when folks got customized support that takes into account both their needs and their personal values.
Covid turned everything upside down though. Unable to run our group program, we redirected our services to individual counseling. With a focus initially on complex trauma, our team rapidly grew, and we began establishing ourselves as providers that truly understood the nuances of being part of many intersecting marginalized communities, mostly because we had actually been there ourselves.
What started out as my desperate attempt to avoid going on disability now brings daily joy as both therapists and clients reach out to find their home here. Therapists seek us out for employment as we focus on life first, work second philosophy that focuses on honoring our own needs. We’ve become a place unlike any other that values authenticity and minimizes the need for masking. Our team includes 7 trans and non-binary therapists, and we pride ourselves on creating a workplace where traditionally underemployed and closeted gender expansive folks can thrive. And together we bring this celebration of our own “weirdness” to the clients we work with every day, helping them to also see the beauty of their own gifts.
-Sarah Beren, LCAT, Director
“Spotted Rabbit art therapists live for empowering neurodivergents, LGBTQIA+ folx, and adults who’ve experienced emotional neglect and other trauma to be their most authentic selves and live a life aligned with their own personal values. ”
Spotted Rabbit MIssion
Our Values
Be unapologetically authentic
Most of us have spent far too long trying to fit in, measure up, and hide any sign that we’re different. Spotted Rabbit is a place where everyone can be themselves regardless of neurodivergence, LGBTQIA+ identity, disability, etc. All are welcome here exactly as they are.
Use our power for good
As a business community leader, and as individuals, we believe it’s important to stand up for what we believe in and say no to what we don’t. Being able to have the authority to make our corner of the world a better place is critical.
Embrace non-conformity
We truly believe our differences make us amazing and that fitting in isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In challenging the status quo we can break cycles of generational trauma and systemic oppression for ourselves, and for others.
wear our oxygen mask
As much as we live for empowering others, Spotted Rabbit first and foremost aims to shift how therapists work. We believe that the large caseloads, back to back clients, and micromanaging found in clinics and many private practices are damaging, both to therapists and clients. When we prioritize our own needs we are better able to support others.
Community Focus
Spotted Rabbit and its individual therapists believe strongly in community engagement and giving back.
We are proud to collaborate with the Rochester Rainbow Union to offer a free monthly Queer Art Club to encourage creativity, restorative rest, and community building to our LGBTQIA+ family right here in Rochester, NY.
Throughout the year we offer financial and material donations to many local social service agencies and we partner with other providers, businesses, and agencies to promote resources, programming, and buying local.
Lastly, but probably most importantly, we are training the next generation of creative arts therapy graduate students. This allows us to offer high quality LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent trauma therapy with interns at reduced rates for those who are uninsured or underinsured.