Jacqueline Reynolds, MA, ATR-BC, LPC

Thank you for exploring my site! 
I'm an artist, art therapist, and avid crocheter in Pittsburgh, PA.

Passion to Career
I started painting when I was old enough to grip a brush, and I'm grateful that I had a Pap willing to create watercolor paintings with a squirmy, babbling toddler. While I experimented with different creative approaches, I always returned to my love of painting.  I love playing with color and balancing control with looseness and making a mess.  When I was in high school, my first significant job was at a local YMCA which doubled as a fitness center and homeless shelter.  There I was exposed to the struggles of homeless men and women in the area, which included issues of addiction, mental health, and day to day survival.  With this growing awareness came a passion for social justice, and looking ahead to further education, I became interested in art therapy as a career path to combine my love of art and desire to work in a human service field. I was privileged to be able to pursue this path and focused my work on general trauma treatment. I currently work as an outpatient therapist in a community mental health setting and run a therapeutic open art studio in my capacity as an art therapist.

Credentials
LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor, July 2017
ATR-BC - Board Certified Art Therapist, September 2016
MA - Art Therapy, Marywood University, Scranton, PA
BA - Studio Art, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA

Artist and Art Therapist
I embrace the dual identity of an artist and art therapist, and strive to merge these interests in my artwork.  By painting realistically, I have learned to be still and present with a subject, patiently examining an individual’s surface details and subtleties, and learning what it means to see something without labeling or judgment.  This time spent together is intimate, although I can never assume I know or have authority over a painted subject.  Rather, I embrace feelings of reverence, respect, and fascination.  This method has translated metaphorically into how I strive to interact with clients during my career as an art therapist.  As I continue to work toward my own self-understanding by exploring animal personalities, I hope to emphasize that humans and non-human animals can coexist in solidarity, recognizing our shared roots and that there truly are “many lives worth living.”