Grief-Focused Art Therapy in Gaithersburg, MD
Supporting children, tweens, teens, and adults through grief and loss, emotional overwhelm, life transitions, and bereavement.
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 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 and tweens, teens, and adults through emotional overwhelm, life transitions, and bereavement.
❥ 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.
Learn about my approach, philosophy, and values.
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.
Begin where you are, contact Lindsay.
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy that combines creative expression and conversation to support emotional healing, self-understanding, and personal growth. When grief, loss, trauma, or life transitions feel difficult to put into words, art-making can provide another pathway for reflection, meaning-making, and emotional expression.
New to art therapy? Learn more about What is Art Therapy?
Who I Help & How I Help
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 and loss are 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.
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:
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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 (7–10), tweens (11–12), teens (13–17), 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 “good” 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:
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.
“Art is a wound turned to light.”
-Georges Braque-
This practice is founded on a core philosophy. The Three Brushes symbolize a belief that healing is a process grounded in three core values: trust, compassion, and the capacity for growth.
Art connects us to our humanity. Making art and engaging in the creative process can be a powerful source of emotional expression, reflection, connection, and well-being.
I endeavor as an art therapist to guide and support individuals from all walks of life toward greater self-understanding, authentic expression, and meaningful growth.
To be rekindled again. To find meaning, purpose, and light within painful experiences.
Coffee Connect
Coffee Connect & Professional Collaboration
If you are a fellow art therapist, mental health professional, healthcare provider, educator, or community partner, I would love to connect.
Whether over coffee, tea, or a shared creative conversation, meaningful relationships often begin with simple connections. I welcome opportunities to network, discuss referrals, explore community partnerships, collaborate on workshops or presentations, and support mental health and creative arts initiatives throughout Maryland.
Exterior Office Photo The 3 Brushes is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and offers a welcoming space for in-person art therapy sessions. Conveniently located in Montgomery County, the office provides a private and comfortable setting for children, teens, and adults seeking support through art therapy.
Therapy Office Interior A calm and supportive art therapy space designed for creative expression, reflection, and conversation. A variety of art materials are available, including drawing supplies, paints, clay, mixed media, and found objects.
Therapy Office Interior The art therapy office / studio is designed to be a calm, supportive environment where creative expression and conversation can unfold at a comfortable pace. Art materials are available for use during sessions, creating opportunities for reflection, exploration, and emotional processing through both art-making and discussion.
Therapy Office Interior The art therapy office and studio are designed to provide a calm, supportive environment where creative expression and conversation can unfold at a comfortable pace. Tea, coffee, and water are available to support comfort and relaxation during sessions, and light refreshments may occasionally be offered as part of creating a welcoming therapeutic space.
Waiting Room The waiting area is right off the elevator exit near the suite 400 and 404. The space offers a quiet and comfortable space before sessions begin. Thoughtfully designed to support a sense of ease and transition into therapy, the space reflects the values of The 3 Brushes: trust, compassion, and growth.
Waiting Room The waiting area offers a calm and comfortable space before sessions begin and serves as a welcoming place for parents and caregivers while children, tweens, and teens participate in art therapy. The space is designed to support a sense of ease and transition into the therapeutic process.
Healing rarely follows a straight line.
Whether you're navigating grief, a significant life transition, emotional overwhelm, or simply searching for a different way to process your experiences, you don't have to have everything figured out before reaching out.
Together, we'll move at a pace that feels thoughtful, collaborative, and grounded in your unique story.
When you’re ready, I invite you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation.
To make art is to respond, reflect, and resolve
I believe that to make art is to respond—to give form to what is felt, remembered, and experienced.
I maintain an active studio practice as an artist in addition to my work as an art therapist.
I invite you to explore my gallery to view original artwork inspired by themes of grief, healing, nature, and emotional transformation.
These pieces reflect my personal creative practice and artistic exploration and are separate from the art therapy process.
Select original works are also available for purchase.