I am committed to creating spaces where creativity, connection, and healing intersect. Alongside my clinical work with displaced communities, I look for ways to extend relational and expressive forms of care into community settings. These initiatives grow out of lived relationships and shared needs, offering opportunities for connection, play, and meaning beyond the therapy room.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, I have volunteered with the PPSC Refugee Support Program, providing pro bono psychotherapy to Ukrainian refugees in New York City. Through this work, I repeatedly heard themes of isolation, dislocation, and loss of identity following the war.
Pottery Workshops and Scholarships for Refugees
Drawing on both my clinical experience and my involvement in a local pottery studio, I recognized an opportunity to create a space that could respond to these challenges and offer a setting for connection, creative expression, and mutual support.
In the summer of 2024, I began hosting a pottery workshop and support group for Ukrainian refugees who were experiencing a loss of identity and social connection as they adjusted to life in a new environment. The workshop was created as a place where people could connect with others facing similar challenges and spend time together in a shared, creative setting.
I named the workshop Eyes Fear, Hands Do after a Slavic proverb that captures the spirit of empowerment through action. Working with clay offers a forgiving medium, allowing participants to experiment and create without pressure or expectation. The process invites play, curiosity, and engagement with something tangible.
The workshops were met with enthusiastic feedback, with participants sharing that the experience brought them joy, a sense of agency, and renewed belonging. Hearing this inspired me to create a fundraiser to sponsor arts scholarships for refugees. I believe in the transformative and healing power of art and hope these scholarships provide ongoing opportunities for creative expression, meaning, and resilience.
Community & Fundraising Events
Spark in the Park was a community fundraiser and gathering in support of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers who have lost limbs due to the war. I collaborated with community members, contributing to planning and helping facilitate a group art activity by providing materials for a large sunflower collage created during the event.
The afternoon brought together live music, poetry, shared food, art-making, and play. Funds raised benefited the Protez Foundation, which provides prosthetic limbs to Ukrainians affected by the war, and also helped sponsor refugee families’ participation so they could take part in the day.
With generous community support, over $2,000 was raised. Beyond fundraising, the event created a space for connection and solidarity. The sunflower collage made that day remains a tangible reminder of what can take shape when people come together with intention.
I look forward to future opportunities to offer these workshops and community programs. I welcome collaboration with organizations or individuals who can provide space, resources, and guidance. If this work resonates with you or you’re interested in fostering creativity and connection, I invite you to get in touch. Together, we can create spaces where participants can explore, connect, and grow. Prospective participants are encouraged to reach out to learn more and take part in these opportunities.