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IN-PERSON THERAPY GROUP IN PASADENA
Gather & Create: A Fall Expressive Arts Group in Pasadena
Sometimes you can know what is supposed to help you cope and still struggle to access it when your mind is racing, your body feels overwhelmed, or you have been carrying too much alone.
Gather & Create is an eight-week in-person therapy group for women ages 18+ who want to explore regulation through art-making, sensory practices, reflection, and connection. Each week combines a brief lesson about the nervous system with a guided expressive arts activity and facilitated group processing.
You do not need to consider yourself artistic. The goal is not to make something impressive, but to slow down, become curious about your experience, and discover what helps you feel more grounded and connected.
Why Expressive Arts?
Sometimes emotions are difficult to explain. Creative expression offers another pathway into self-understanding.
Painting, collage, writing, movement, and other creative practices can help you notice emotions, body sensations, and patterns that may be difficult to access through conversation alone.
This group is not about creating beautiful artwork. It is about creating space—for reflection, self-compassion, and discovering new ways of relating to yourself.
WHO
This group is welcoming to women and gender-expansive adults. Ages 18+.
The group is limited to a total of 8 participants.
WHEN
We meet weekly on Sunday afternoons from 3:30- 5 PM
INVESTMENT
Each session is $70 and billed the morning of each session.
What You Can Expect Each Week
A gentle rhythm that balances creativity, reflection, and connection.
Each 90-minute session includes space to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and engage with others in a supportive environment. While every week has a different creative invitation, there is no expectation to produce artwork or share more than feels comfortable.
Each session may include:
Grounding and arrival
Begin with a simple mindfulness or sensory exercise to help settle your nervous system.
Expressive arts invitation
Explore materials such as watercolor, collage, clay, writing, or mixed media as a way to access emotions beyond words.
Reflection and group conversation
Share your experience, notice themes that arise, and receive support from others walking similar paths.
Integration
End with time to reflect on what you want to carry with you into the coming week.
This Group May Be a Good Fit for You If...
You may feel drawn to Gather & Create if you:
- Feel emotionally overwhelmed and want a gentler way to process your experiences.
- Find it difficult to slow down or reconnect with yourself.
- Have tried talking through your feelings but sense that words alone aren’t enough.
- Feel disconnected from creativity but miss having space to explore it.
- Tend to care for others while forgetting to care for yourself.
- Are navigating stress, perfectionism, burnout, or life transitions.
- Long for meaningful connection in a small, supportive group.
- Want to become more curious about your emotions without pressure to “fix” them.
No artistic experience is required. Curiosity is enough.
Who Is This Group For?
Gather & Create is designed for adults who want a slower, more experiential approach to therapy.
Participants should:
- Be 18 years or older
- Be able to attend weekly in-person sessions in Pasadena
- Be open to participating in both creative activities and group discussion
- Be willing to commit to the full eight-week series
- Complete a brief consultation before joining
You do not need artistic skill or previous experience with expressive arts therapy.
What This Group Is Not
Gather & Create is designed for adults who want a slower, more experiential approach to therapy.
Participants should:
- Be 18 years or older
- Be able to attend weekly in-person sessions in Pasadena
- Be open to participating in both creative activities and group discussion
- Be willing to commit to the full eight-week series
- Complete a brief consultation before joining
You do not need artistic skill or previous experience with expressive arts therapy.
MEET YOUR FACILITATOR
Led by Daria Kalimán
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, AMFT #151840
Daria offers a warm, collaborative, and human-centered approach to therapy. Her work draws from attachment theory, trauma work, somatic practices, narrative therapy, parts work, and creative interventions that help clients access experiences that may not always be easy to express through conversation alone.
Before becoming a therapist, Daria worked in the fashion industry. That experience informs her understanding of creativity, identity, perfectionism, performance pressure, and the emotional demands often experienced by artists and high-achieving professionals. She is especially interested in creating spaces where people can experiment, express themselves, and feel supported without needing to get anything “right.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need any art experience?
Nope! This group is designed for people of all experience levels, including those who do not consider themselves creative or artistic. Activities will be guided, approachable, and focused on your experience rather than the finished product.
Is this an art class?
No. Gather & Create is a therapy group that incorporates expressive arts, sensory practices, nervous-system education, and group processing. There will be no grading, critique, or expectation that you produce a particular kind of artwork.
Will I have to share everything I create?
No. There will be opportunities for reflection and group conversation, but members will not be expected to explain every element of their work or disclose more than feels appropriate. Daria will help create a balance between meaningful participation and respect for personal boundaries.
What types of creative activities will we do?
Each week will include a different hands-on activity designed to support reflection, sensory grounding, and nervous-system regulation. Activities may include watercolor painting, clay or therapeutic putty, collage, repetitive drawing or pattern-making, painting to music, sensory-based crafts, and working with natural materials such as pressed leaves or dried botanicals.
The activities are not focused on artistic skill or creating a polished finished product. Instead, they offer a way to slow down, notice what is happening internally, and explore experiences that may be difficult to put into words. Clear guidance and all necessary materials will be provided, and no previous art experience is needed.
Is this a drop-in group?
No. Gather & Create is a closed eight-week group. The same members will meet each Sunday, allowing the group to develop greater consistency, familiarity, and trust over time.
What are the eight meeting dates?
Sessions are on Sunday afternoons from 3:30 PM until 5:20 PM. The group will run for 8 consecutive weeks on:
September 13, 2026
September 20, 2026
September 27, 2026
October 4, 2026
October 11, 2026
October 18, 2026
October 25, 2026
November 1, 2026
What happens if I have to miss a session?
Begin by completing the group inquiry form. Daria will contact you for a brief consultation so that you can ask questions, learn more about the group, and determine whether the format feels like a good fit.
How do I join?
Due to the short, closed nature of the group, participants are asked to ensure that they can attend all 8 weeks. Participants are limited to one cancellation in the course of two months.
The fall can be a stressful season
Gather & Create offers a place to intentional bridge the gap between summer and winter. It’s a program designed to help you slow down, make something with your hands, and explore what becomes possible when we lean into creativity, reflection, and connection. No art experience is needed; only a willingness to arrive as you are!
SCHEDULE A CALL
If you’re interested in scheduling a 15-minute screening call to enroll in the group or being listed on my referral sheet for notification about upcoming groups launching throughout the year.
LINKS
