Naarah (pronounced Nay-aRe-uh) has been living in the Western Mass area since 2016 and was born and raised in Boston, MA. Naarah has a BFA in Illustration from UMass Dartmouth, and a MS in Mental Health Counseling with a Concentration in Art Therapy from Springfield College. Naarah is also a registered Art Therapist and along with utilizing counseling techniques, she will often work with clients to incorporate art therapy techniques in a session, assisting the individuals to better manage their symptoms of anxiety, depression, and healing trauma they may be experiencing. The art therapy techniques can consist of the use of clay, markers, crayon, mixed media, and paints among many other artistic mediums. Naarah also has experience conducting art therapy groups.
Naarah has much variety in her work experience and has worked as a Montessori preschool teacher, a clinician to latency aged children in a residential setting, a Resident Director for many years on college campuses, has provided outreach clinical services, as well as worked as a Counselor in a university setting. She has a passion for education surrounding diversity and has incorporated diversity work within her practice. Naarah has done this by facilitating diversity conversations and workshops for the BIPOC population as well as has travelled and presented at several art therapy conferences and diversity events regarding the topic of hair and microagressions.
Fun Fact about Naarah: She enjoys art and has travelled to Sicily in her Undergraduate career with a study abroad program and took painting courses. Naarah also has two sibling cats named Sir Lancelot and Queen Victoria.
