“Like the sea itself, the unconscious yields an endless and self-replenishing abundance of creatures…a wealth beyond our fathoming.” – Carl Jung
[An altar created for an exhibit last year, featuring a quote by Carl Jung. It reflects the power of art therapy, along with one of Nishima’s favorite interventions—sewing creatures as a resource for comfort and happiness.]
I grew up in San Antonio before attending the University of Pennsylvania, where I earned degrees from both the Wharton School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences. My journey led me to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where I studied for three years before working as an artist and small business owner while raising my children. In 2024, I earned my Master’s degree in Counseling and Art Therapy, and I am currently working as an LPC-A and ATR-P, with plans to receive full licensure as an LPC-AT and ATR in early 2026.
I know art therapy to be a powerful intervention for a variety of treatment goals and am especially passionate about working with complex cases, including OCD, CPTSD, BPD, and DID. By incorporating art materials and processes, creativity, and emergent imagery, I help clients access bottom-up processing in therapy. This helps them bypass defenses, rebuild neural pathways, and address disrupted developmental experiences in a meaningful way. Further, art therapy increases distress tolerance by evoking emotional experiences that are soothed by art-making and contained by the art image.
My approach to therapy is to meet each client in the present moment and walk alongside them on their journey of healing through creativity, mindfulness, self-compassion, and integration.
