Eme Swaggthorne, MA, ATR-P Counselor & Art Therapist

Populations Served: individuals

Ages: 14+

Specialties: LGBTQIA+, autism spectrum, ADHD, anxiety, gender identity, polyamory, personality disorders.

Therapeutic Approach: Person-centered with Gestalt and Adlerian influences, art therapy

Availability: In-person & virtual

Person sitting at a table drawing with a blue marker on yellow paper, wearing a floral shirt and glasses, with abstract art in the background.

My Therapeutic Approach

Because no one approach works with every individual, I work from a present-focused and strengths-based framework and adapt my process to best fit who is sitting in front of me. I borrow techniques and perspectives from person-centered and Adlerian theories which help to produce a holistic understanding in me of your background, your present being, and goals for the future. I believe that our therapeutic relationship is an important part of our work together, so holding a safe space for you to explore and expound upon your thoughts, feelings, and experiences is of my utmost priority.

I hold a provisional license to practice art therapy, and often encourage those with whom I work to utilize artmaking in their therapeutic journey. Every person has the power to create, and with that creation can come healing. Artmaking is not a requisite of our work together–if that’s not your thing, I am happy to use my other skills to provide you a more traditional therapeutic experience. If you are open or eager to draw, paint, sculpt, or create art in (almost) any other way, then artmaking may be a useful, cathartic tool we can use together to reach your therapeutic goals.

Person seated on a chair reading a book titled 'The Body Keeps the Score,' wearing glasses, striped sweater, and headband with a bun hairstyle.

  • Using the process and product of artmaking as a therapeutic tool has the potential to reach a wide array of people, regardless of their background in art. Art therapy can especially reach individuals on the autism spectrum as it provides the individual with unique and therapeutic sensory experiences, the opportunity to communicate to themselves and their clinician deeper insight into their worlds, and, importantly, the agency and the freedom to create art that is meaningfully contributes to the process of reaching whatever therapeutic goals they decide to strive toward. 

    Art therapy also can have a profound impact on high school age individuals. Artmaking in a therapeutic setting can help adolescents build trust and rapport with their clinician, bolster beliefs of self-acceptance, and felt-agency in their treatment. Truly, creating art can have a way of making a significant amount of emotional space for anybody, and for adolescents seeking therapy services, this space can prove to have a considerable effect on their therapeutic growth. 

  • Being a queer practitioner, I am passionate about healing some of the hurt in the LGBTQ+ community. I believe that community change starts with individuals, so striving to provide LGBTQ+-informed care to the people with whom I work is an essential part of my therapeutic offering. Queer people experience many of the same things that anybody does; however, there are some experiences that are exclusive to the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s important in my work to not only validate said experiences for you but to work with you to make meaning and direction out of them. To this end, my approach stays sex-positive, BDSM/kink-affirming, and open to all of the beautiful ways our community fosters and maintains relationships.

    I also have a background working with individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and find a similar passion in therapeutically meeting with and advocating for individuals with IDDs. Our society has created many unnecessary barriers for individuals with IDDs to have full and equal participation and accessibility in many ways, and the therapy I provide aims to help the individual work with or through these barriers. Regardless of if the person I am working with does or does not have an IDD, I adapt my therapeutic approach to best fit their needs and wants and give them agency to utilize our time together in ways from which they think they would most benefit.

  • I bring a sex-positive and inclusive approach to all my sessions, fostering a safe and supportive environment for exploring sexual health and wellness. Under the supervision of Stephanie Franzoni, LCPC, CST, I work with a range of sexual health concerns, including libido differences, consensual non-monogamy (CNM), kink/BDSM, sexual confidence, chronic pelvic pain, and erectile challenges.

    Whatever your concerns may be, I’m committed to collaborating with you to identify your goals and develop a tailored plan to help you achieve them.

  • Like you, I am a full person beyond our therapy sessions. I am an eclectic artist and musician, and enjoy spending my time engaging with the many different facets of the queer community. At home, I find peace in baking, exercising, meditating, spending time with my family, and going on walks with my dog.