Grief-Focused Art Therapy in Gaithersburg, MD
Supporting children, teens, and adults through grief, loss, and life transitions
When Words Are Not Enough
You’re carrying a weight that isn’t easily seen, and it can feel exhausting to keep holding it alone. You may find yourself wondering if things will ever feel okay again, or how much longer you can keep going without feeling overwhelmed or worn down.
You don’t need to carry this alone or try harder—you are already doing the best you can with what you’ve been carrying.
Explore art therapy for grief and loss with a therapist in Gaithersburg, MD, supporting children, teens, and adults through emotional overwhelm, life transitions, and bereavement.
Explore Art Therapy for Grief and Loss
❥ Hello
My name is Lindsay Downs. I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapist and Board-Certified Art Therapist (LCPAT, ATR-BC®) with over 7 years of experience.
I am an art therapist in private practice offering in-person sessions in Gaithersburg and Montgomery County, Maryland.
My work supports children, teens, and adults navigating grief, loss, life transitions, emotional overwhelm, and complex trauma through a supportive, creative therapeutic process.
I specialize in art therapy for grief and loss in Gaithersburg and Montgomery County, helping clients reconnect with themselves, build emotional safety, and process experiences that can feel difficult to express in words.
Art therapy offers a space to slow down, explore your experience, and express what feels difficult to put into words. This is not about creating “good” art, but about reflection, meaning-making, and emotional understanding within a safe, collaborative therapeutic relationship.
You are welcome to begin where you are and move at a pace that feels supportive for you.
FEEL FREE TO CONNECT AND SEND ME A BRIEF MESSAGE.
When words are not enough, what is art therapy?
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that integrates creative expression with conversation to support emotional healing, self-understanding, and personal growth.
You do not need artistic experience. The focus is not on creating “good” art, but on using the creative process to explore thoughts, emotions, and experiences that may be difficult to express verbally.
It can support reflection, emotional clarity, and connection—especially during grief, loss, and life transitions.
Who I Help & How I Help
Children (7–11), Tweens (11–13), Teens (13–17), Adults (18+)
Navigating:
Grief and Bereavement
Complicated or Prolonged grief
Trauma and Emotional Overwhelm
Anxiety related to loss or change
Identity Shifts and Life Transitions
Family stress and adjustment challenges
Whether a child is learning to express big emotions, a tween is moving through an in-between stage of development, a teen is navigating identity and change, or an adult is carrying layered experiences of grief, art therapy offers a space to slow down, process, and reconnect with yourself.
Grief is often nonlinear, overwhelming, and difficult to put into words. Art therapy provides an alternative way to process grief and loss through creative expression, especially for those seeking grief therapy in Gaithersburg, MD, that goes beyond traditional talk therapy alone.
Through art-making, individuals can explore emotions, honor memories, and gradually make meaning from loss over time. Creative expression can support grounding, reflection, and emotional release when grief feels heavy, complex, or difficult to articulate.
Art therapy may be especially supportive when grief is accompanied by disconnection, uncertainty, or difficulty adjusting to life changes.
Services: What I Help With
Art Therapy for Grief and Loss
Support for bereavement, complicated grief, and loss-related life transitions.
Art Therapy for Children and Tweens
Support for children and tweens processing grief, trauma, and emotional overwhelm.
Support for teens processing their identity and sense of belonging when loss happens
Art Therapy for Adults
Support for grief, trauma, identity shifts, and life transitions.
If you would like to learn more or see whether this approach feels like a good fit, you are welcome to schedule a free 20-minute consultation call.
Coffee Connect
Or Tea Too…
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Networking doesn't have to feel like another item on your to-do list.
If you're a fellow art therapist, mental health professional, or work in a related helping profession, I'd love to connect. Whether it's over coffee, tea, or gathering together to make art, these informal conversations can be a meaningful way to build community, share ideas, and support one another's work.
If you're a community organization, recruiter, educator, medical or wellness practitioner, I'd be happy to connect.
I welcome conversations about community partnerships, PRN opportunities within Maryland, creative arts and mental health collaborations, arts-based programming, workshops, speaking opportunities, and other ways to support individuals and families through creative and therapeutic services.
Feel free to reach out and introduce yourself. Networking doesn't have to be something to check off a list—connecting over coffee or tea can simply be an opportunity to connect, share ideas, and learn from one another over a cup of coffee or tea.
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Hello, my name is Lindsay Downs. I am the owner and art therapist of The 3 Brushes, LLC.
I earned my Master of Arts in Art Therapy from George Washington University in 2017.
I am a Registered, Board-Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapist in Maryland (LCPAT).
When I’m not hiking, kayaking, or creating art in my studio, I love spending time with the people I care about. My roots are in Colorado, and I enjoy spending time outside and connecting with nature. I have journeyed and resided in multiple locations across the US. I also find great fulfillment in volunteering locally and engaging in sustainability efforts.
REFERRALS
The 3 Brushes, LLC is an art therapy private practice that believes art serves as a meaningful partner in recovery. The act of creating art offers a pathway for authentic self-expression and can bring purpose and insight during difficult times.
As an art therapist and fellow mental health professional, I am committed to supporting the emotional and mental health needs of my clients through the creative process, integrating art-making with therapeutic work to support holistic outcomes. In our work together, we explore the roots of concerns to support deeper understanding, integration, and meaningful change.
If you are a mental health professional, medical provider, community partner, or healthcare collaborator, I welcome a connection regarding referrals. Please feel free to reach out if you have a client who may be seeking this type of support or who you feel may be a good fit for grief and loss work and who aligns with my clinical populations: children (ages 7–10), tweens (10–12), teens (13–17), and adults (18+).
Kindly leave a brief, general message regarding the referral. I will respond within 1–2 business days, typically in the morning by 10 a.m. All messages are received through a secure email system.
FAQs
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Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that integrates creative expression with trauma-informed and grief-focused clinical care.
You do not need any artistic experience to participate. The focus is not on creating “good” artwork, but on using the creative process to explore emotions, experiences, and personal growth.
Art therapy can be especially supportive for individuals seeking help with grief and loss, trauma, anxiety, or life transitions, offering additional ways to process experiences that may be difficult to express through words alone.
Art therapists are mental health professionals with master’s-level training in art therapy and clinical practice. In Maryland, practitioners may be licensed as Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapists (LCPAT) or Licensed Graduate Professional Art Therapists (LGPAT), and may also hold national board certification such as ATR-BC®.
To learn more about the art therapy profession, you may visit the American Art Therapy Association.
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Grief can feel overwhelming, nonlinear, and difficult to express in words alone.
Art therapy provides a supportive space to process loss through creative expression, reflection, and therapeutic conversation. This can include exploring emotions, honoring memories, and making meaning from life changes over time.
Art therapy may also help when grief feels confusing, emotionally intense, or accompanied by disconnection from self, others, or daily life.
Learn more about ART THERAPY FOR GRIEF AND LOSS.
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Each session is individualized and may include conversation, art-making, or both.
Some sessions involve guided prompts or art therapy directives, while others are open-ended creative exploration. You may work with drawing, painting, clay, collage, or other materials depending on your needs and comfort.
Art-making is used to support emotional expression, reflection, and insight. We also use verbal processing to help make sense of what emerges.
There is no “right way” to participate. Sessions are collaborative, paced according to your needs, and focused on emotional safety and meaning-making.
Learn more about SERVICES.
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Words absolutely have a place in art therapy! Art therapists use conversation, reflection, and focused discussion to help clients explore their experiences, gain insight, and process emotions. The balance between verbal discussion and creative expression depends on your goals, preferences, and therapeutic needs. While art-making and the creative process are foundational aspects of art therapy and are encouraged as valuable tools for self-expression and healing, I recognize that words are also an important part of finding and strengthening your voice. Together, we can use both creative expression and conversation to support your growth, self-understanding, and therapeutic goals.
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I work with children (7–11), tweens (11–13), teens (13–18), and adults (18+).
Art therapy supports emotional expression at all ages. No artistic experience is required.
For children and adolescents, creative expression can be especially helpful when emotions are difficult to put into words.
Art therapy can support healing, growth, and self-discovery at any stage. An adult who thinks, "I can only draw stick figures," that's perfectly okay. You do not need artistic talent or experience to benefit from art therapy. The focus is not on creating beautiful artwork, but on using the creative process to explore emotions, gain insight, and connect more deeply with yourself and others.
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I primarily offer in-person art therapy in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Virtual sessions are limited and generally reserved for specific circumstances, such as caregiver or parent sessions conducted separately from child or adolescent sessions.
Clients participating in virtual sessions must be physically located in Maryland at the time of service.
Art materials are the responsibility of the client, though suggestions and recommendations can be provided if needed.
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Sessions are typically 53–60 minutes for individual therapy sessions, as well as for separate parent and caregiver sessions when included as part of treatment.
Frequency and length of treatment are individualized based on your needs, goals, and clinical considerations.
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I am an out-of-network provider and do not bill insurance directly.
Fees are:
Initial Intake Session: $200
Ongoing Sessions (53–60 min): $150
A limited number of sliding-scale appointments are available based on financial need. A superbill can be provided for possible insurance reimbursement.
Clients may also find it helpful to use REMIMBURSIFY.
This is a free service for clients to use online that simplifies the process of submitting out-of-network claims for reimbursement. Reimbursify allows clients to submit claims electronically and track reimbursement status through their platform. I encourage you to contact your insurance provider directly to learn more about your out-of-network mental health benefits, deductible, reimbursement rate, and any authorization requirements that may apply. Reimbursement depends on your insurance plan and out-of-network benefits.
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The office address is located at:
101 Lake Forest Boulevard
Suite 400 & 404
Gaithersburg, MD
20877
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A free 20-minute consultation is an opportunity to discuss what brings you to art therapy and determine whether this approach feels like a good fit. If we decide to move forward, we will review next steps and begin intake and scheduling.
You can schedule by phone or email.
Secure Google Voice Phone:
(301) 810-3926
Secure Work Email: lindsaykdowns.arttherapy@the3brushes.com
Practice Philosophy
“Art is a wound turned to light.”
— Georges Braque
My approach and work as an art therapist are grounded in the belief that art therapy is a process of healing shaped by trust, compassion, and the capacity for growth.
The creative process offers a space for reflection, emotional understanding, and reconnection with self—especially when experiences feel difficult to put into words.
Painful experiences are not erased, but gently explored and integrated over time in ways that support greater meaning, clarity, and emotional connection.
To make art is to respond, reflect, and resolve
I believe that to make art is to resolve—to give form to what is felt, remembered, and experienced, as both an art therapist and artist.
I invite you to explore my gallery to view original artwork inspired by themes of grief, healing, and emotional transformation. These pieces are created to offer reflection, connection, and encouragement.
Select original works are also available for purchase.
