Linnea (flower variety) Wildflower that grows wild throughout Scandinavia and the Canadian Rockies. She is sometimes called Twin Flowers, and each flower contains is balanced match.
Linnea (human variety) Art Therapist, mediator, and community gatherer, constantly crafting, nomadic at times, currently rooted in Ottawa, Ontario.
A little bit about Linnea
Hello!
Are you tired or unhappy about the way things are going? Do you know things need to change but don’t know where to start? Are your interpersonal relationships feeling strained these days? Are you feeling alone and in need of a win? Are you queer, neurocomplex, and/or chronically ill?
I am here for you.
My name is Linnea, and I’m a (family) therapist, mediator, and consultant. And I’m a little weird about it.
My process is very much based on connection building. First, I try to build a connection with my clients through curiosity and creativity. As much as I have heaps of modalities and psychological and creative materials to borrow from, my primary goal is to get to know you — because no support is deeply valuable without a quality level of understanding of the human one works with.
My office is not your average office. In fact, I don’t call it an office. I call it “The Studio.” Arts and crafts supplies are in abundance. You won’t hear me calling it a “safe space” because I cannot make any promises or guarantees of safety. Sounds harsh? I don’t get to choose if the space feels safe for you, but I’ll do my best to help you feel welcome, and I hope that’s okay.
If you want to know more about me and my process feel free to check out my podcast called This is Not Art Therapy (The Podcast). Where my friend(s) and I chat and make art about all sorts of life topics.
The loooonnnngg version:
I’m Linnea. I was born and raised in Ottawa and have always been passionate about art, nature, and creative community healing.
With a deep commitment to inclusion, health, resilience, empowerment, and creative expression, I have dedicated my career to fostering well-being through art therapy and supporting people from a (w)holistic approach. I started my adventure in “art therapy land” in 2015, when I moved to Vancouver to complete a post-grad in art therapy. Going to art therapy school was the best thing I ever did for myself. During my studies, my relationship with art completely changed—for the first time, I experienced my creative process through a compassionately curious lens. I was hooked.
Much of my art therapy work in Vancouver was in two areas: supporting children and youth in community settings, and working in psycho-oncology. Both offered profound meaning and connection, and I’ve continued to work closely in these communities ever since. Along the way I have had the privilege of working with organizations such as Leave Out Violence (LOVE), the British Columbia Cancer Agency, OCDS, The Door, BGC, Youth Net, A New Day, and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, to name a few.
In 2021, I opened Eyes Open Studio. Originally an exclusively online practice (after struggling to find a place that would hire me), starting my own business turned out to be the best decision I ever made. Private practice allows me to connect with individuals and families who find me, know what I do, and invite me to walk alongside them in their healing. I just love that.
One of my objectives has always been to work at as many levels as possible. I believe that healthy people need healthy communities, and vice versa. My work with children always seeks to involve caregivers and family members, because I see healing as a collective process.
In addition to art therapy and family work, I have developed a child-focused, art-based family mediation method. This approach is designed especially for families—particularly queer families—who want to commit to a future of cooperation, supportive communication, and mutual care. Inspired by Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Somatic Experiencing, Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), with influences from Jungian theory and Internal Family Systems (IFS), my mediation blends creativity, empathy, and healing-centered engagement. Art-making and dialogue go hand in hand, helping families center children’s needs while fostering resilience, understanding, and collective well-being.
Beyond private practice, I also offer corporate and non-profit training rooted in art-based practices. These workshops help teams explore creativity as a tool for resilience, communication, and collaboration. Whether building trust within staff, navigating organizational change, or fostering inclusion, I believe that creative expression has the power to unlock new ways of working together and strengthen communities from the inside out.
Art makes everything different. Art is a portal to our inner world. A mirror to ourselves and to others. It can be our greatest companion and our strongest ally. It soothes and enlightens. It allows us to externalize and understand the internal confusion. Art makes life the loveliest.
Sessions are offered online and in person at my downtown Ottawa office (340 Gladstone, Unit 302). The studio itself is a lovely, almost magical space—tucked at the top of a walk-up commercial building. During the day it fills with bright natural light, and in the evening soft fairy lights create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. It’s a space that feels both open and soothing, designed to hold creativity, connection, and healing. We also have swings, my favourite place to hang out.
