Health psychologist offering individual therapy to help with depression, anxiety, and addiction. Author of Path to Hope.
Also offering intensives, courses, and therapeutic art journaling. Health psychologist, meditation teacher, and artist offering therapy, creative intensives, and supportive spaces like the Hope Springs Community and Caregivers Circle.
09/17/2025
Good morning, friends. I’m starting today with gratitude. Every week I have the privilege of meeting at 7:30 AM with a consulting client who is working hard to find funding to support caregivers. Their dedication inspires me.
Later this morning I’ll head to the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center to plan programs for 2026—programs designed to help people heal, grow, and find hope.
And the rest of the day? It’s River’s Peace prep day! I’ll be applying gesso and texture to canvases, creating a wide range of possibilities for the intuitive painting we’ll share by the river.
A full day, and a hopeful one.
09/15/2025
The river is calling… and so is River’s Peace on September 27 at Robert Moses Park.
Behind the scenes, I’ve been busy pulling it all together:
Gathering the unique clay-based paints we’ll be using.
Assembling kits with brushes, journals, and supplies for each participant.
Finalizing food orders so we can share a meal together in the midst of it all.
Each detail is chosen with care so you can arrive, breathe, and simply be present — to the river, to the painting, to the peace that emerges when we create and reflect together.
Tickets are still available, but spaces are limited and registration will close soon.
Secure your place today, link in comments. Questions? Please DM me.
09/12/2025
It's been a tough week. When life feels heavy, the first thing to slip away is often our rhythm — the steady flow that keeps us balanced.
If you've been around a while, you know I rely on river wisdom. The surface of the St. Lawrence changes constantly — glittering with light one morning, dark and turbulent the next. And yet, beneath it all, the current runs steady and strong.
Our lives are much the same. Even when the surface feels chaotic, there is often a deeper flow carrying us. The challenge is slowing down enough to notice.
I wrote more about this in this week’s Substack post, including simple practices to help us return to rhythm.
Read and subscribe using link in comments.
09/11/2025
Interested in learning more about the seven types of rest? Comment below to be on the list for my class coming in October!
Rest is not a luxury — it is a loving practice.
When I pause, I don’t fall behind. I return to myself. 🌷
09/06/2025
A Season, A Rhythm — New Substack Post!
Align your days with what this season actually asks of you.
This week’s note is a quiet, kitchen-table check-in: one week, one rhythm. Inside, you’ll find a gentle review process, a simple loop for change, ten-minute starters, and a little neuroscience on why small, repeatable steps actually stick.
Link in graphic and comments.
09/05/2025
Hello and welcome to those who are new here. I’m Susan Barber Skinner, PhD—health psychologist, meditation teacher, and artist behind Hope Springs Healing Arts Studio. This page will be the best place to find everything in one spot: program registrations, Zoom sessions, Circle community, Substack, and more.
Many new on-demand virtual programs are coming soon, along with holiday gifts and kits. I’ll share release dates and links here as they go live.
If this work speaks to you, follow this page and check back weekly—I’ll keep the links current and easy to find.
Health psychologist, meditation teacher & artist helping women find their voice—and a paintbrush.
09/03/2025
Good morning from the courtyard at Dominican Retreat and Conference Center! Preparing for annual retreat for teachers as they start the school year...our topic is rest.
09/02/2025
First Monday Blog Post: Reclaiming Balance
We live in a world that often ignores rhythm—constant motion, endless noise, little time to pause. But our bodies and spirits long for cycles of rest and renewal.
My September blog post, Reclaiming Rhythms, is an invitation to notice the patterns around you, align with the season you’re in, and set gentle intentions that support balance in body, mind, and spirit.
In the post, I also share details about upcoming opportunities—including the Whispers of Hope Retreat later this week and ways to connect through the Caregivers Circle and one-on-one work.
Links in comments
And remember—details for all my programs, retreats, and circles are gathered in one place on Linktree - see bio
08/30/2025
The end of August brings a shift—the light changes, evenings cool, and a long weekend stretches ahead.
This is a moment to practice presence: to arrive fully in conversations, meals, and quiet pauses. In this week’s Substack, I share reflections and simple practices—like a breath for arrival, sensory anchors, and a daily reflection question—to help you lean into presence this weekend.
On Monday, we’ll begin a new theme: Reclaiming Rhythms, exploring how to steady ourselves for the season ahead.
Link in comments
08/29/2025
The air feels different tonight—crisper, cooler, alive with the promise of change. As summer eases into fall, I’ve been preparing canvases, winding yarn, and gathering pages that will hold retreatants’ reflections at Whispers of Hope.
Next weekend, we’ll step into that change together: painting, journaling, and creating space for renewal by Canandaigua Lake.
There are just seven days left to register.
Give yourself the gift of rest and inspiration, link in comments.
08/26/2025
Whispers of Hope Retreat
September 7–10, 2025 | Notre Dame Retreat House, Canandaigua
At Whispers of Hope, creativity becomes a pathway to renewal. Over four days you’ll be invited into intuitive painting, reflective writing, gentle movement, and time in nature — all designed to quiet the noise and open space for hope to surface.
No art experience needed, just a willingness to explore and play. You’ll leave with new insights, handmade keepsakes, and a renewed spirit.
Spots are limited — reserve your place today.
Link in comments.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hope Springs Healing Arts Studio posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Hope Springs is a workshop for those who want to live with intention and embrace a future filled with hope. I’m a curious person and a lifelong learner. I hold a Ph.D. in health psychology, and a Masters Degree in clinical mental health counseling. I am a National Certified Counselor.
What that means for people who work with me is that I am trained to help with a wide range of issues from getting stuck in your creative process to anxiety or insomnia and everything in between. I offer packages of services utilizing the best available evidence based practices for issues such as insomnia and management of chronic pain as well as individual counseling focused on individual concerns.
Creative expression, whether painting, journaling, or writing, is an important part of my life and my work. Whether you are already involved in creative activities or are ready to add creative expression to your personal toolbox, I can help you to overcome barriers and nurture your creative mind. Creative expression is particularly helpful for people as they heal from grief or trauma.
I meet people where they are, listen to what concerns them, and work with them to develop strategies to bring about the healing and growth they long for in their lives. My practice is designed to allow you to work with me from a place where you are comfortable and to provide you with a variety of tools to address your challenges and reach your goals.
For more information on working with me, send me a message through this page or on my website www.hopespringsresources.com
