K.A.R.I.N.A.

 Victoria Eisner, M.A., ADTR, NCC

Center for Body, Movement & Mindfulness-based Therapy.

Victoria Eisner, M.A., ADTR, NCC has been a clinical therapist and teacher for over 20 years. She has been on faculty or staff at the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, Omega Institute, Naropa University Continuing Education Summer Program, Commission on Mental Health Services at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and the University of Montana.

Victoria holds credentials from the American Dance Therapy Association and the National Board of Certified Counselors. She is a former board member of the Maryland/D.C./Virginia Chapter of the American Dance Therapy Association and is the founding director of the Center for Body/Movement and Mindfulness-based Therapy in Baltimore, Maryland.

Candace Blase, MA, ATR-BC 

MA, Art Therapy, Vermont College, Montpelier, VT, August 2001

Ph.D. coursework, Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 1990-92

BA, Women’s Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1987

Experience

Trauma Care Specialist and Clinical Supervisor, AFESIP, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Serve as consultant to psychology department to increase capacity, train staff, develop policy and procedures, implement case management system, and design improved interventions for treatment.  AFESIP provides services to survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation in 3 residential shelters, a walk in clinic, and through community outreach visits.  

Treatment Coordinator/Art Therapist, MSA The Adolescent Center, Columbia, MD, Design and run art therapy program for outpatient child and adolescent treatment center for families in crisis.  Train and supervise art therapy and counseling students.  Provide individual, group and family art therapy, individual family therapy, multi-family groups. Participate in treatment team planning for up to 60 child and adolescent clients, serve as case manager for 10-12 adolescent clients (coordinate services with schools, outpatient therapists, community agencies, and others as needed).  Client issues include sexual abuse, trauma, attachment, depression, suicidality, adoption, grief/loss, substance abuse and anger management.

Melissa Ward, MT-BC

Melissa obtained her credentials, MT-BC (Music Therapist - Board Certified) from the Certification Board for Music Therapists which upholds standards that are equal to or above state licensure standards.

Melissa received her degree from Elizabethtown College in 2006, well-known for their sound and well-rounded music therapy program. Melissa completed her internship at Kennedy Krieger School, which is part of an institute known throughout the world for their work with individuals with disabilities.  Through involvement with fundraising for autism research and participation in various autism support groups, Melissa has expanded her work related to autism awareness. 

Jason Armstrong Baker creates a safe musical environment where everybody can powerfully express their deepest selves and discover new heights of creativity. Jason is a Board Ceritified Music Therapist, a trained REMO HealthRHYTHMS facilitator, and a professional drummer.

Jason graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1999.  In 2000, Jason traveled to Cuba. There he studied drumming with local percussion-masters and awakened to the healing power of music in everyday culture, beyond the confines of the rehearsal studio and stage. In 2001 he studied yoga and meditation as a resident at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health during the 3-month Spiritual Lifestyle Program. Here he began integrating his drumming abilities with meditation and developed Drumming from a Place of Stillness, a collective improvised meditation on rhythm taking place within the drum circle. 

Today Jason continues to build rhythm communities. He is a recent grant recipient for his project Rhythmic Bridges at the Baltimore Refugee Youth Project (RYP); works in mental health care and education for adolescents in crisis; works with veterans at the VA; and is expanding his work into corporate team-building settings. He is a staff accompanist for the dance department at Towson University and regularly performs with Baltimore –based VT Dance. 

Jason completed a Graduate Certificate in Music Therapy from Shenandoah University in 2006. During that time, Jason learned to apply music in a therapeutic setting and further realized the potential of group music-making for healing. 

 Cecil Reve, LMHC - EAT

Expressive Arts Therapist
Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Cecile Reve speaks fluent French, a proficient Spanish and basic American sign language.

In addition to her clinical experience and the mental health training, her experience with a variety of art modalities such as music, voice, theatre, poetry, authentic movement, contact improvisation, yoga, graphic design photography and visual art, makes her a strong communicator, and enables her the flexibility to work with individuals and groups presenting very different and complex challenges. For the past decade, Cecile has been studying how music, theatre, visual art and movement improvisation can be used in rehabilitating the brain to learn new behaviors. An important part of her findings and skills are drawn from her personal practice of Action Theatre, an improvisational physical theater training and performance method created by Ruth Zaporah.

Gabriela Kotliar, LMHC-EAT

Expressive Arts Therapist
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Zen Shiatsu Therapist
Photgrapher

Gabriela Kotliar speaks fluent Spanish and Hebrew.

Art Modalities

Gabriela was trained in photography, film, music and movement. She has experience with authentic movement, yoga, theatre improvisation, contact improvisation and martial arts.

Mental Health Experience

She has over 10 years of experience working with adults having a chronic mental illness and/or substance abuse issues individually or in groups. She was Assistant Director of an adult day treatment program in downtown Boston, where she was responsible for facilitating clinical and expressive arts therapy groups, coordinating intakes, creating treatment plans, managing risk, and supervising Counselors and Expressive Arts Therapy students. Created an inclusive and safe LGBTQ program specializing in LGBT issues and trauma. She is an activist and an educator in this area of specialization.

Teaching Experience

Gabriela is currently teaching 2 Supervision classes for graduate Expressive Arts Therapy students at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has been a site supervisor for Expressive Therapy students for the past 5 years. She also has experience teaching photography to children with developmental disabilities, as well as hebrew to elementary school children.