Queer & Neurodivergent Art Therapy in Pittsford, NY
Spotted Rabbit StudioWelcome to Real Therapy, Built for Beautifully Weird Humans
Queer & Neurodivergent Art Therapy in Pittsford: How We Actually Help
Not everything heals by talking it through. Sometimes the first honest expression of an experience is a color, a torn piece of paper, a shape, or a sketch on the page that says more than you thought it could. Creative expression through art therapy can give you another way to process all you have been through, including anxiety, trauma, burnout, grief, identity questions, sensory overwhelm, and the heavy feelings that do not always fit neatly into words.
Spotted Rabbit Creative Arts Therapy offers LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent-affirming art therapy for kids, teens, and adults in Pittsford, NY. This is a space for anyone who wants a therapy experience that feels more human, more creative, and less like another place where you have to perform or be someone you are not. You do not need to be “good at art” to start. You can show up with a racing mind, a tight chest, a blank page, a messy line, or the feeling that you are tired of holding it all together. Our affirming art therapists can support you through a combination of art-making and talk therapy, no matter where you are in your journey.
Our art therapy supports:
• Autism
• ADHD
• LGBTQIA+ challenges
• Anxiety
• Depression
• OCD
• Burnout
• Complex Trauma
• Emotional Neglect
• Chronic Illness & Pain
• Life Transitions
• Relationship Stress
• Self-Esteem
• Identity Exploration
What is Art Therapy?
The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as a mental health medium that uses art-making, the creative process, psychological support, and the therapeutic relationship to help you explore what you are feeling, remembering, carrying, or trying to understand.
In session, that might look like drawing an emotion that is hard to describe, using color to notice what anxiety feels like in your body, making a collage about identity, grief, or change, mapping a relationship pattern, working with clay, paint, paper, or other materials, using an image as a starting point for deeper reflection, or sitting with what shows up without needing talk about it right away.
Art therapy gives feelings somewhere to go
Creative expression combined with talk therapy can help you explore emotions, trauma, identity, stress, and self-understanding when words feel too small or too hard to find.
Therapy can feel less like a performance
Art therapy gives you room to show up as you are, whether you are masking, questioning, burned out, grieving, sensory-overloaded, or tired of translating yourself for everyone else.
No art skills are required
Art therapy is not about making something pretty or impressive; it is about using color, texture, shape, image, and process to notice what is happening inside and give it room to breathe.
Art therapy can support anxiety and emotional overwhelm
Findings published by the NIH, which looked into the effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults, found that it was an effective tool for decreasing stress and improving regulation.
The studio lights are on.
We are proud to have a team of affirming, client-focused licensed art therapists specializing in LGBTQIA+ issues and gender-affirming care, autism, ADHD, and complex trauma.
Our work is rooted in the belief that therapy should not ask you to become someone else to heal. We help you understand what you have lived through, notice what your nervous system learned from it, and build a life that fits your actual needs and values. Many clients come to us because they want a therapist who understands queerness, neurodivergence, trauma, chronic illness, masking, burnout, family wounds, or emotional neglect without needing a 101 lesson first.
Each one of our art therapists in Pittsford brings their own style, background, and clinical strengths to their practice. As a team, we share a commitment to creative, collaborative, identity-affirming care.
How to Find Us
Our Pittsford therapy studio is conveniently located at 1169 Pittsford-Victor Road, Suite 250, Pittsford, NY 14534, just minutes from Bushnell's Basin.
We're located in the center building on the left as you enter the business complex, on the second floor. The studio offers a peaceful, low-traffic environment designed to support a sense of comfort, privacy, and ease from the moment you arrive.
Parking & Accessibility
Free parking is right out front, with ADA-accessible spots.
What Is Art Therapy?
....Therapy That Feels Different.
Sometimes art therapy includes a lot of talking. Sometimes it includes very little. Some sessions may feel reflective, emotional, playful, quiet, messy, grounding, or practical. The point is not to become an artist. The point is to give your inner world a place to land outside your body, where you and your therapist can look at it together with more space, curiosity, and care.
Therapy That Does Not Feel Like Therapy
Traditional talk therapy can be helpful, but it is not always enough on its own. You may understand your patterns logically and still feel stuck in your body. You may know why you people-please, shut down, overthink, freeze, avoid, or mask, but still find yourself doing it when life gets heavy. Art therapy in Pittsford with our affirming therapists can give you another way into the work, right here in the neighborhood.
Art therapy is not ‘better’ than talk therapy. It simply gives you more ways to be understood and express yourself in a space that is affirming and intentional about supporting your mental health goals.
give shape to what you've been carrying
Instead of only explaining what hurts, you can externalize it. You can give shape to the thing you have been carrying. You can notice what happens in your body as you create. You don't have to have the words or mask your true self as it comes through. You're in a safe place here with us.
better for "explanation fatigue"
You can explore memory, grief, anger, fear, identity, and hope without needing to say everything perfectly. This can be especially supportive if talking about your experiences leads to anxiety, overwhelm, shutdown, dissociation, or the familiar feeling of going blank the moment someone asks, “How are you?
Therapy That Doesn't Try to Fix You.
Start now, in-person or online.
Meet the Team
Pittsford Art Therapists
Spotted Rabbit's Licensed Creative Arts Therapists share your lived experiences, so we don't just "get it"...we ARE it. You don't have to do it alone. Reach out to say hello, we'd love to hear from you.
CIERA LACOUNT, LCAT
EMMA ANNABLE, LCAT-P
KYLE LANG, LCAT
EVELYN VARLAN, LCAT-P
SHAWN SHANNON-MISSAL, LCAT
KACY MADIGAN, LCAT
KAMYRN AARONSON, LCAT
SYDNEY DLHOPOLSKY, LCAT-P
LYRAH WALLACE, LCAT
What to Expect at Our Pittsford Art Therapy Studio
(Hint: It's Therapy That Doesn't Feel Like Therapy)
Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially if past experiences with counseling felt too clinical, rushed, surface-level, or not affirming enough.
At our Pittsford art therapy studio, sessions are collaborative and paced around your needs. You do not have to arrive with a perfect explanation or a complete story.
Depending on what feels helpful, sessions may include art-making, conversation, grounding tools, parts work, values exploration, nervous system education, somatic awareness, creative problem-solving, practical coping strategies, and reflection on relationships, identity, trauma, or life transitions.
We pay attention to pacing, consent, accessibility, sensory needs, and choice. Therapy should feel like something you can actually participate in, not another space where you have to pretend you are okay.
A Creative, Affirming Space for the Real You
At Spotted Rabbit Creative Arts Therapy, we support LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and trauma-impacted clients in Pittsford, Brighton, Rochester, and virtually throughout NY, who want therapy that feels more honest, creative, and human. You may be queer, trans, nonbinary, gender expansive, autistic, ADHD, late-diagnosed, self-diagnosed, questioning, chronically ill, burned out, grieving, or tired of trying to make yourself easier for the world to understand.
You do not have to overexplain your identity, your relationships, your pronouns, your sensory needs, your chosen family, your masking, your shutdowns, or why ordinary life can feel so exhausting. Our art therapists in Pittsford bring trauma-informed training, creative clinical skills, and lived experience with the communities we serve. We care about your actual life, not the version of you other people think you should become. You are welcome here exactly as you are.
Every hue of you is welcome.
Art therapy in Pittsford may be a good fit if you feel anxious, shut down, overwhelmed, disconnected from yourself, stuck in old patterns, or tired of trying to talk your way through things that live deeper than words.
You might benefit from working with us if you often feel “too much” or “not enough,” your emotions build until they spill over, you go numb or disconnect when things get heavy, you have spent years masking, people-pleasing, overworking, or caretaking, you are exploring identity, gender, sexuality, or relationships, you are healing from complex trauma or childhood emotional neglect, you want therapy that feels creative, embodied, affirming, and human, or you are trying to reconnect with your body after years of pushing through.
You do not need a clear diagnosis to start. You do not need to know whether your experiences “count” as trauma. You do not need the right language for everything.
Therapy can be where you begin making sense of it.
Areas We Often Support with Art Therapy in Pittsford
LGBTQIA+ Individual and Couples Therapy
Art therapy for LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples offers space to explore identity, relationships, communication, intimacy, conflict, chosen family, gender, sexuality, and the stress of moving through a world that may not always feel safe. Our LGBTQIA+ counselors in Pittsford often bring lived experience with the queer community, which means you do not have to spend half the session explaining the basics of your identity or relationship before getting to the real work.
Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy
For autistic, ADHD, late-diagnosed, self-diagnosed, and otherwise neurodivergent clients, therapy is shaped around how your brain actually works. Pittsford art therapy sessions may support masking, sensory overwhelm, executive functioning, emotional regulation, burnout, identity, relationships, and the relief or grief that can come with understanding yourself more clearly.
Anxiety Counseling
Anxiety can show up as racing thoughts, tension, overplanning, panic, people-pleasing, shutdowns, perfectionism, or the feeling that you can never fully rest. Art therapy in Pittsford for anxiety can help you slow down, notice what your nervous system is trying to communicate, and build coping tools that feel realistic for your life.
Depression Therapy
Depression can sometimes feel like a low hum, bringing you down and, at times, taking over the day. Art therapy for depression offers a more gentle way to explore the root and symptoms of your depression, reconnect with glimmers of hope throughout your day, and make room for feelings that may be difficult to say out loud.
Trauma and Complex Trauma Therapy
Trauma therapy here in the studio moves at your pace. We do not rush your story or ask you to dig into painful memories before you feel ready. Trauma-informed art therapy in Pittsford can help you approach complex trauma, childhood emotional neglect, relationship wounds, survival responses, and old patterns with more choice, space, and care.
Non-Traditional Relationship Therapy
Art therapy for Non-traditional relationships can support couples who are navigating polyamory, ethical non-monogamy, kink/BDSM, platonic life partnership, asexuality, aromanticism, demisexuality, differing intimacy needs, jealousy, boundaries, and relationship expectations. Through either individual or couples counseling Spotted Rabbit can help you and your partner(s) explore needs, practice assertive communication, navigate hard conversations, and build relationships that feel more aligned with your values.
Disordered Eating Therapy
Our approach to art therapy for disordered eating is rooted in intuitive eating, Health at Every Size, and trauma-informed care. We observe what food habits may have been helping you survive, not just how to “control” them with a holistic wellness approach. Art therapy can help you reconnect with your body, notice unmet needs, sit with difficult feelings, and build a relationship with food and yourself that feels less ruled by fear, rules, or the scale.
The canvas is ready when you are.
Start now, in-person or online.
Art Therapy in Pittsford for Anxiety, Trauma, Burnout, and Masking
Anxiety, trauma, depression, burnout, perfectionism, shutdowns, people-pleasing, and masking often make sense when you look at what your brain and body have survived. Instead of asking, “What is wrong with me?” art therapy gives us room to ask better questions.
What has your nervous system been protecting you from?
Where did you learn that your needs were too much?
What parts of yourself have been pushed underground?
What would it look like to build a life that does not require constant performance?
Art Therapy & Creative Arts Services in Pittsford, NY
Spotted Rabbit Creative Arts Therapy offers more than one way to get support, connect through creativity, and make space for what you are carrying. At our Pittsford studio, services include individual art therapy, couples therapy, creative arts classes, and groups. We offer art therapy for adults, kids, and teens who need care that feels flexible, affirming, and human.
Individual Art Therapy
Individual art therapy provides one-on-one support with a licensed art therapist. Sessions may focus on anxiety, trauma, depression, identity, burnout, masking, relationships, grief, neurodivergence, or the patterns that keep showing up in your life. Our art therapists in Pittsford may use art-making, conversation, grounding tools, parts work, nervous system support, values exploration, or practical coping strategies based on what actually helps you.
Relationship Therapy
Several of our art therapists have additional training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy as well as experience adapting core approaches to relationship work. Whether you want to create more intimacy, improve communication, or discover how trauma and other internalized beliefs impact how you interact with those you love, our couples therapists can help. We even have therapists who specialize specifically in the challenges faced by autism/ADHD couples, neurodivergent/neurotypical couples, gay couples, and those practicing consensual non-monogamy.
Individual Art Classes
Creative arts classes are different from therapy, but they can still offer a supportive environment to explore art-making and soft skills at your own pace. These one-on-one classes can help kids, teens, and adults build creative skills, experiment with materials, develop a personal style, and practice soft skills like communication, flexibility, frustration tolerance, independence, and confidence.
Teaching specialties may include woodworking, ceramics, mosaics, painting, cosplay and props, sewing, printmaking, collage, mixed media, knitting, crochet, beaded jewelry, and entrepreneurship.
Classes and Groups
We offer creative classes and group experiences for folx looking for structure, connection, and shared creative space. Groups may focus on art-making, identity, social connection, special interests, or creative exploration. For some clients, this can be a way to be near other people without forcing small talk or performing a version of themselves that feels exhausting.
Art Therapy & Mental Health Coaching for Adults
Pittsford art therapy or mental health coaching for adults can support anxiety, depression, complex trauma, burnout, masking, grief, relationship patterns, identity exploration, chronic stress, and life transitions. It may be especially helpful if you can understand your patterns logically, but still feel stuck in your body, relationships, or day-to-day life.
Art Therapy for Kids and Teens
Art therapy gives kids and teens a creative way to express big feelings when words are hard, limited, or not enough. Sessions may support anxiety, depression, school stress, neurodivergence, identity exploration, emotional regulation, family changes, social struggles, and the behaviors that often show up when a child or teen is overwhelmed.
Online therapy across New York
We have two locations, one in Pittsford and one in Brighton, for in-person care. We also provide online therapy for clients across New York. Yes, you can do art therapy remotely! You can choose the setting that best fits your access needs, schedule, comfort level, and nervous system.
FAQs About Therapy in Pittsford with Spotted Rabbit Creative Arts Therapy
COMMON QUESTIONS WE HEAR
Is art therapy only for naturally creative people?
No. Art therapy in Pittsford at our studio is for people with feelings, stories, stress, memories, identities, and nervous systems, not just people who already think of themselves as creative. You can show up with zero art experience and still have a meaningful experience.
What kinds of art materials might be used in a session?
Sessions with our art therapists in Pittsford may include drawing, painting, collage, clay, mixed media, writing, or other creative materials, depending on what feels useful and accessible. Your therapist will help you choose materials that fit your comfort level, sensory needs, and goals for the session.
Can I choose whether we make art or mostly talk?
Yes. Art therapy is collaborative, and you are not forced to create in every session. Some days may involve art-making, some may be mostly conversation, and some may include grounding, reflection, or practical coping support.
What age groups do you serve?
Our art therapists in Pittsford work with clients across a wide age range, including kids, teens, and adults. The therapy process is shaped around the client’s age, needs, communication style, identity, and comfort with creative expression.
Where Is Your Art Therapy Studio Near Pittsford?
If you were searching 'art therapy near me' and live near Pittsford, NY, you are in the right place! Our Pittsford art therapy studio is located near Bushnell’s Basin at 1169 Pittsford-Victor Road, Suite 250, Pittsford, NY 14534. We support clients from Pittsford and the nearby Greater Rochester.
How Do I Book an Art Therapy Appointment in Pittsford?
You can contact Spotted Rabbit Creative Arts Therapy at 585-430-9877 x1 or hello@spottedrabbitstudio.com to ask about art therapy in Pittsford. We can help you explore fit, scheduling, and what kind of support may make sense for you.
Curious if art therapy is right for you?
You do not have to keep carrying everything alone. You do not have to keep performing “okay” when you are running out of room inside. Art therapy can offer a creative, affirming place to unmask, exhale, and begin building a life that feels more like yours.
At Spotted Rabbit Creative Arts Therapy, we do therapy differently. We are not here to fix you. We are here to help you understand what your nervous system has been holding, what parts of you have been asking for care, and what it might look like to live with more safety, choice, creativity, and self-trust.
If you are looking for art therapy in Pittsford, an art therapist near Rochester, LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy, neurodivergent-affirming therapy, or creative trauma therapy that feels more human, we would be glad to hear from you.