Brianna Kestle

Job Description

I'm a therapist who works in private practice, and I specialize in using art therapy to help kids express their big feelings. Having my own practice means that I'm responsible for all the clinical aspects of being a therapist (client sessions, managing cases, professional development) as well as all the business aspects (money stuff, scheduling, marketing).

Relevant School Subjects

• Health and Physical Education
• Social Sciences and Humanities

Areas of Expertise

• Healthcare
• Social Work/Counselling

Career Story

After hearing about art therapy as a career from a friend in high school, I went on to study at Western University. But I kept losing my nerve, worrying if I'd ever find a job as an art therapist. I changed my major every year, but ended up with a degree in visual arts & sociology.

By that time, I hadn't found anything that I wanted to do MORE than be an art therapist, so I decided to go for it. I did my graduate studies at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute, and graduated in 2015.

I immediately started taking any job that I could in the field, which meant a lot of small jobs at many different places (I've worked for community support organizations, long-term care facilities, retirement residences and hospitals).

Those small jobs lead to bigger jobs, and when I moved to Kitchener a little over a year ago I decided to open my own private practice! Having my own business as a therapist allows me to take care of my own physical and mental health and support the mental health of the population I love working with (kids!).