Culinary Arts Therapy
What is Culinary Arts Therapy?
Culinary Arts Therapy (CAT) or Cooking Therapy is an alternative to traditional psychotherapy. Food is central to our everyday lives and is a great way to feel connected to family and culture. Culinary Arts Therapy allows us to break down barriers that we might otherwise feel in a more traditional psychotherapy setting, and engage in a more relaxed environment, creating honesty, openness, vulnerability, and connectedness. Culinary Arts Therapy is useful for a wide array of clients, such as women and men with depression and anxiety, people with eating disorders, couples experiencing marital distress, families wanting to improve interpersonal dynamics, those suffering from addiction, people experiencing trauma, as well as children/adolescents with depression, anxiety, ADHD and other neurodiversity challenges. CAT allows you to gain more insight into your own thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and enter a more mindful state of awareness. You will learn social skills, improve communication, reduce feelings of stress, improve self-esteem, and tap into your senses. CAT will allow you to engage, be creative and have fun.
Culinary Arts Therapy can take place in the comfort of your own kitchen or via video. During a brief phone intake, I will gather information to help understand your food preferences and areas to improve on and I will send you a recipe list with ingredients. During our session, we will utilize mindfulness strategies, communication skills, time management skills, social skills, and tap into all our senses to guide in the culinary journey. My goal is to create a fun and relaxing atmosphere, all while creating a delicious dish and improving on issues that are weighing you down. You will leave the session feeling more empowered, having greater insight into yourself, and better able to handle what comes your way. Contact me for good food and good feelings!