A Toronto Art Therapy student is offering an 8-week art therapy program as part of their major project study, to explore how art therapy can help individuals who suffer from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) or Axial Spondyloarthritis (AxSpA). Individuals are invited to take part in this study if they are diagnosed with AS and are interested in receiving art therapy. No experience in art is required to participate.
Individuals can participate if they are:
- 18 years of age or older,
- live in Ontario, and
- are diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis or Axial Spondyloarthritis
The program involves a minimum of eight (8) consecutive weeks of virtual group art therapy that aims to help participants express, identify, externalize, and understand their experiences of pain and other related emotional and social challenges related to AS. Each online session is two (2) hours long. Participants will be invited to complete a questionnaire reflecting upon their experience after the final session. This study is approved by the Research Ethics Committee at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute (March 2023).
Session Time
6:oo -8:00pm (EDT)
Session Dates
- Wednesday, May 10th
- Wednesday, May 17th
- Wednesday, May 24th
- Wednesday, May, 31st
- Wednesday, June 7th
- Wednesday, June 14th
- Wednesday, June 21st
- Wednesday, June 28th
Please Note : This is a pilot program available only to residents of Ontario at this time. We hope to be able to offer this program on a broader scale in the future.
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About the Project Facilitator
Jennifer Morin-Reynolds is an upper-year student at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute, completing her major project, Invisible Warriors: Exploring Ankylosing Spondylitis Through Art Therapy, to study the effects of art therapy on individuals suffering from Spondyloarthritis. Jen was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in 2020 and has lived experience with the disease and other comorbidities. Jen has facilitated online outpatient group therapy as part of the Stepping Stones program for adults with Mackenzie Health, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital for a year. Jen has been practicing art therapy with bereaved children and youth and is now continuing her journey with medical art therapy. Jen is a certified teacher and currently works in the professional teaching of secondary school visual art.
Jen has an Honours BFA Degree in Visual Art from York University, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Cultural Arts Management from Humber College, and is a certified (OCT) secondary school teacher receiving her BEd from Lakehead University. Jen is now working towards her professional art therapy credentials and is currently studying at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute.
As per the practicum protocol at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute, this group will also be co-facilitated by another practicum student at TATI, for practice responsibility and safety.
Co-Facilitator
In any program that Janet Ho facilitates, she brings a trauma-informed approach that nurtures mindfulness, play, self-awareness, self-expression, and strength-based tools to lead more fulfilling and meaningful lives. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and previously worked at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in the Addictions Division. In early 2021, she began a graduate-level training program in art therapy and currently works as a student art therapist with various agencies in the areas of self-esteem, identity, grief, loss, anxiety, anger, relationships, chronic illness, marginalized experiences, and general well-being from a holistic lens.