JANA MCCALL EXPRESSIVE THERAPY
Just where you are, that's the place to start- Pema Chodron
Therapy for neurodivergent, creative, or highly sensitive adults and relationships
Modern life makes it harder for us to tune into our feelings, our intuition, and our creativity. Our truths can become muddled when how we show up in the world no longer aligns with who we are or who we strive to be.
Many of us have been wounded through loss, family of origin, interpersonal relationships, school, work, illness, identity struggles, or simply by existing in an increasingly complex world.
You may find yourself struggling to understand and communicate your needs, repeating painful patterns in relationships, or compromising parts of yourself in order to maintain connection. Maybe you live with anxiety or depression, and are feeling burnt out. Maybe you get overwhelmed and feel stuck, or you could be feeling disconnected from yourself and your environment. No matter what is happening for you, it's likely difficult to know which way to go, what to do, or how to make changes.
Recognizing that you want something different is the very first step. Reaching out for support is an excellent second step.
Therapy can provide the support, space, and tools needed to understand the patterns that keep you stuck so you can begin creating the life that feels more connected, sustainable, and true to who you are.
Who I work with
I work with adults, couples, partners, and polycules who want to better understand themselves, their nervous systems, how they process information and emotion, and ways they relate to others.
My work is especially suited to people who feel and express emotions in a big way—or who struggle to access them at all. People who think differently, have felt misunderstood, or have struggled to find therapy that truly fits them. I'm a bit different from the norm. You might be, too.
NEURODIVERGENCE AFFIRMING
As a neurodivergence-affirming therapist with lived experience, I understand that differences in communication, attention, sensory processing, emotional regulation, and demand sensitivity are not personal failures. Therapy should not require you to mask more effectively or force yourself into strategies that do not fit your mind or body. Together, we can explore how your inner and external worlds exist and merge, and find ways to create more harmony.
Areas of focus of Neurodivergence
ADHD, autism, 2E, OCD, PDA, over-functioning, under-functioning, and sensory processing differences PTSD and C-PTSD, burnout.
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
Trauma, anxiety, depression, stress, motivation and inspspriation, habit building, and attachment wounds.
IDENTITY EXPLORATION
Creative, artistic, academic, gender, career, relational, overall identity malaise or stagnancy.
HEALTH
Chronic illness and conditions such as POTS, Ehlers Danlos/Hypermobility, MCAS, auto-immune disorders, injury related disability, TBI's, cancer, and other disabilities.
RELATIONSHIPS
Sex and intimacy concerns and exploration, communication, attachment needs and differences, pattern recognition and disruption, team building.
HOW I WORK
My approach is collaborative, relational, and tailored to you. My work is informed by attachment, existential, and psychodynamic therapies, parts work, Brainspotting, various somatic therapies, sensory processing, neuroscience-informed and nervous-system-focused approaches, and expressive arts therapy.
You do not need to consider yourself artistic to benefit from expressive work. Because our experiences do not always live in words, therapy may also include imagery, metaphor, movement, sound, creativity, or attention to what is happening in the body. You do not have to feel comfortable in your body. Our work together will allow for these areas to become easier, with a pacing that feels right for you.
I am LGBTQIA+ affirming, disability affirming, body positive, and sex-, kink-, and BDSM-positive. I welcome diverse gender identities, sexual orientations, relationship structures, bodies, abilities, and ways of experiencing the world.
We are all deserving of opportunities to love and be loved wholly, to express ourselves, and to live in a way that feels more unmasked, unburdened, and authentically our own.
I offer sessions and ongoing therapy and consultations as a provider licensed in the state of Washington, or as a relational, creative, or personal coach/consultant outside of Washington state.
Scroll down for more information about me, my approach, fees, and location.
“Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.”
― Paul Coelho
ABOUT
Many of my approaches to therapy are rooted in my own life experiences. I'm a white Latina with a complex and very rich history. Growing up in a family of divorce, substance abuse, and inter-generational trauma, creative expression was one of the most effective ways to express my experiences and process my feelings. I've been an artist and musician since I was very young, with art and music shows all over the United States. I moved to Seattle from Arizona in 1989 and was fortunate enough to be part of the exploding Seattle music scene, which led me to working with such bands as Nirvana and Modest Mouse. Yoga and meditation have also played important roles in my life, which I've been studying for over 30 years and teaching for over a decade.
I enjoy working with groups and have developed and facilitated groups/wokshops for neurodivergent adults, songwriting workshops creating through shadow and inner child parts, art therapy for people who are HIV+, yoga/meditation groups and workshops, grief groups, and LGBTQIA+ groups and workshops.
Trainings and Education:
Montana State University- BFA
Antioch University Seattle- Masters in Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy
Brainspotting Level 1 and 2
Gottman Level 1
EFT Level 1
PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy) Level 1
Yoga Teacher Certification 200
Adaptive Yoga Therapy
Yoga Nidra
EMDR for Neurodivergent Clients
IFS
Polyvagal Theory
APPROACH
My approach to therapy is eclectic and integrative. I work through a culturally responsive framework that includes tools and theory from Humanistic, Attachment, Existential, Art therapy, Brainspotting, Polyvagal Theory, PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy), IFS (Internal Family Systems), Eco therapy, Narrative, Sensorimotor, Mindfulness-Based Therapies, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and other approaches to individuals, relationships, and families.
I also work through a trauma and resilience informed lens. This means acknowledging that trauma can exist not only in individuals, but in generations of families, historically with ancestors and within greater systems. We each carry not only the less desirable stories and parts of our ancestors, but also their strengths, and we alone hold the key to tell these stories to honor them and to heal from them.
Expressive Arts Therapy with me can look many different ways depending on what works best for you. We might work together doing purely traditional talk therapy, or if it's something you're interested in exploring, we could integrate modalities such as making art, writing or journaling, incorporating music, whether listening to or writing, doing yoga and movement that fits your needs and abilities, meditation, finding ways to incorporate the natural world, or creating ritual together that is relevant to your needs and/or cultural background.
Many people are embarrassed or ashamed of their creative process, and might feel they are terrible artists. You do not have to be an 'artist' to be creative or participate in Expressive Arts Therapy. There is no judgement in what we do together; this is not about making perfect art or excelling at being creative. Expressive Arts Therapy is about finding ways to help you achieve more balance and peace, to find your own unique voice, to allow your truths to come through, to tap into something bigger than yourself, to heal, or to even have fun. I'm excited for you to start this journey, and to share it with you.
If therapy doesn't feel right for you at this time, but you're interested in working with me, I offer sessions for focusing on career goals, creative goals such as visual arts and songwriting, mindfulness and meditation, yoga therapy. I'm passionate about helping people discover their own passions and cultivate fulfilling lives. I want to help you tune into your truths, your stories, and your unique creative voice, and overcome blocks if they are getting in your way. Together we can also explore ways to find more meaning in your life and to be more present.
Contact and Info
170 for individuals for 55 minutes
200-225 for couples or families for 55 minutes
90 minute and 2 hr sessions are available upon request. I see clients on a weekly basis or every other week. Sliding scale spots may be available
Presently I am private pay/out of network but can provide a superbill for you to submit to your provider who can then reimburse you. Please contact your insurance company to find out what is covered under your policy.
Contact to schedule a free 30 minute session to see if we're a good fit to work together.
jana@janamccallexpressivetherapy.com
(206) 485-1552
Licensed in Washington state as a Mental Health Counselor.
Lic # 61496004
