KARIANNE SPENS-HANNA
M.Ed Art Therapist, NCMT, Songwriter
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Services
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Individual and Group Art Therapy
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Meditation and Mindfulness
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Eco-Art therapy
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Songwriting
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Body Awareness
Clinical Specialties
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LGBTQI support
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Trauma informed care
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Substance abuse recovery
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Anxiety
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Depression
Education
Karianne received her BFA in Fine Arts from College for Creative Studies and her M.Ed from Wayne State University in Art Therapy.
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Experience
She is currently the Art Therapist at Mariners Inn, which is a shelter and treatment center for the homeless, and Common Ground, which is a crisis residential facility that helps people who are in crisis. She has worked with Affirmations providing art workshops to LGBTQ youth, the Ennis Center and Christ Child House doing Art Therapy with children in foster care, with adolescents at The Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center, with the Alzheimer’s Association, The Older Persons’ Commission, The Detroit Institute of Arts, and The Children's Hospital of Michigan.
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Philosophy
Karianne believes that art therapy can help externalize our emotions and give a voice to our experiences. We don’t always have words to say what we’ve been through, but art is a visual language that can help with self-expression. Her passion for art therapy stems from her desire to help people, her love of creating, and her belief that art has the power to heal and deeply examine what it means to be human.
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In her practice, she utilizes an integrative approach to healing that includes theoretical frameworks such as person centered, humanistic, and family systems, and therapy that focuses on body awareness, eco art therapy, and meeting people where they are. She caters her sessions around the goals and interests of the people seeking services, believing that ultimately, they know what they need best, and she is there to guide them through a creative process to help them increase self-awareness and improve their quality of life.
Nature often weaves into her art and healing practice, as she believes that in this busy, technologically advanced time, it is imperative we maintain our connections to the Earth. As a singer/songwriter, her music has the same intention, to raise awareness and connect people to each other and the environment. Her multidisciplinary approach is intended to help people tap into their creative potential, however that looks to each individual.
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Fun Fact
Karianne grew up in rural Michigan on a horse farm, where she developed a love of nature, animals, and taking care of people. She visits her family farm frequently, and has turned the space into a retreat for people seeking a quiet get-a-away and a place to create, as it caters to artists and musicians.