Art Lab Rx tailors art therapy sessions to serve the diverse cultural and spiritual needs of surrounding communities in need of mental health services. Art Lab Rx comes to your clinic, recovery center, church, school and community center in two ways. We can set up within your facility, or your population could enter “Maggie,” our new mobile unit. Maggie is a self-contained art therapy studio with a wheelchair lift, eight art stations and a toilet, all ADA-compliant.
An open house to celebrate “Maggie,” their 45’ coach bus, now a self-contained art therapy studio with a wheelchair lift, eight art stations and a toilet, all ADA-compliant, is scheduled for Saturday, November 10th, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Adler Graduate School (10225 Yellow Circle Drive, Minnetonka). This event is designed for anyone interested in learning more about art therapy and seeking to partner with Art Lab Rx and the services we offer. Featured activities include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, art experiences on Maggie, a photo booth, and a button-making station. Light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.
Maggie is an expansion of Lounsbury’s private practice, Art Lab Rx, which she founded in 2015. Nick-named after Margaret Naumburg, a pioneer in the art therapy world, Maggie is the only mobile unit in Minnesota (currently, believed to be the only one in the US) dedicated to art therapy. The bus can travel anywhere in Minnesota, making it possible to bring art therapy and wellness workshops to communities where few are offered. Committed to equity, Lounsbury went to great lengths to make the bus accessible to everyone.
“Being ADA-compliant is important to me because I don’t want to leave people out. I want to remove barriers in order for anyone to get help,” said Lounsbury.
Art Lab Rx offers two types of services: art therapy and wellness workshops. Art therapy, is a mental health practice where clients use creative self-expression to gain understanding, make meaning of circumstances and aid them in the healing process. Similar to other types of therapy, it is an ongoing process.
“Art therapy works in wonderful ways,” said Lounsbury. “When a client makes art with the direction of an art therapist, the subconscious is tapped into and images emerge that can help the client make meaning of circumstances and healing begins. It can be a powerful experience.”
A wellness workshop, on the other hand, is an art experience that could have a therapeutic benefit. These one-time sessions are conducted in a group setting and offer coping strategies that individuals can take with them to use in their daily lives. Current wellness workshop topics include creating your own mandala for a sense of calm, art journaling as a visual prayer, and creating a self-care kit to use during stressful times. Both art therapy and wellness workshops can be offered in English or Spanish.
