Description
Process Painting groups at Wild and Free Painting are open to adults of all artistic levels who are looking for a creative, non-judgmental space for self-care, reflection, and personal growth. In each group, participants engage in intuitive painting supported by gentle prompts, individualized facilitation, and group reflection, with the focus placed on the experience of creating rather than the final product. Sessions encourage curiosity, emotional expression, nervous system regulation, and reconnecting with creativity in a playful and supportive environment. Participants often leave feeling more grounded, emotionally connected, creatively renewed, and better able to listen and trust themselves with curiosity and compassion. Groups are facilitated by Elissa Arbeitman, a board-certified art therapist and licensed clinician with over 20 years of experience leading art therapy programs, process painting groups, and creative wellness workshops.
Group Therapist
Elissa Arbeitman is a Licensed Professional Art Therapist and Process Painting Facilitator.
She specializes in anxiety and stress management, self-esteem, life transitions, women’s mental health, identity development and self-compassion.
Elissa loves working with women who are navigating major life transitions and are finding themselves exhausted by their inner critic, constantly judging themselves to the point of being stuck, always feeling pressure to produce, perform and succeed, disconnected from themselves and bored or shut down from their creative self.
Many of the women Elissa works with come out of therapy saying that they have a new, positive relationship with their inner critic, feel heard, validated and understood, have a renewed sense of who they are and who they want to be and have found their voice and feel comfortable using it.
One distinctive aspect of Elissa’s approach is that she is passionate about using creative expression to help adolescents and women cope, heal and grow. She believes creativity has a playful, joyful, intuitive side to it and if you are interested she will bring this aspect into your session as well.
Elissa earned a BFA in Graphic Design from The University of Michigan, holds a Masters degree in Art Therapy from New York University, is a Registered, Board-Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) by the Art Therapy Credentials Board, a Licensed Professional Art Therapist (LPAT) by the State of New Jersey and a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) by the State of New York.
