Raina Cowan Art Therapist and Counselor

05/10/2026

Mothers’ Day can be complicated. For those celebrating, Happy Mother’s Day! For those grieving or lamenting or having feelings that aren’t celebratory, or are complex, I see you and am holding you in my thoughts.

05/05/2026

Man, Yoda is hard to draw! The force was not with me, and I think I overworked this, but may the 4th be with YOU! Also forgive the shadowy photo…it got late. If you love Star Wars, check out
whose post today inspired me to do this.

04/10/2026

The whole, the parts. Zoom out, zoom in. Is it all in the details, or is there a bigger picture? When is it both?

03/31/2026

Inspired by reclaimed surfaces artist, , who does fabulous teabag artwork, and by all the pretty spring crocuses! I love Spring time. Image copyright www.rainacowanarttherapist.com

02/14/2026

Reflection collage on loving art therapy! Feeling fortunate for finding my way to this field, it really is a calling. No matter how you situate art therapy among other modalities, it will always shine bright as a beacon of healing and endless growth opportunities.

02/01/2026

February is a great month to check out Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. Not only are they celebrating Black History Month with all these cool events, but it’s warm and the tropical inside. The various plants and greenery can make you feel transported to another season, another climate. Escape from winter!

We're so excited to celebrate Black History Month 2026 with you all! Join us to to learn about Black ancestral plant knowledge, enjoy themed art activities for children and adults, a special jazz concert, and more! Use the link in our bio to view the more details about all our Black History Month offerings. ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏻

01/07/2026

Art therapy heals!

🔥 Art therapy sessions could cut the risk of burnout by half, a study of London medics suggests.

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust worked with 129 doctors, nurses and other health professional from London hospitals to study the effects of group art therapy sessions.

They found that those who took part in the sessions reported much lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation, and less stress, anxiety and depression.

🔗 Read the full article from the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yj6412gvxo

📷️ Image: Dr Francesco Rosato
Credit: BBC

01/02/2026

In a burst of reinvigorated New Year’s decluttering, I finally found this cicada lifespan embroidery project I started 2 summers ago! I had been looking for it for a while!

Here’s to finding lost things
discovering new joys, remembering old joys, savoring moments of contentment, embracing challenges and chaos, preserving capacity for self, supporting community, and knowing when to let go of whatever is no longer serving you! May 2026 bring you creativity, ease, wonderment and enough motivation and energy to push through the rough stuff!

12/09/2025

We might not be able to control much about the holidays, but making handmade ornaments can restore a bit of self agency and joy. :)

11/26/2025

Gel plate printing in between sessions with lace, 2nd time ever using this process. I plan to use these in the making of some holiday ornaments. Happy Holiday Season Kick Off!