Art Therapy in Eugene, Oregon
Jeniffer Duncan, LPC, LAT
Art Therapy in Eugene
You’ve written 200 pages of dissertation but can’t write a single sentence about how you actually feel.
Or you’ve explained your trauma to three different therapists, yet something essential remains untouched, like trying to describe color to someone who has never seen.
As an art therapist, I help Eugene residents access the parts of experience that live beyond language, using simple creative expression to process what words can’t reach.
Why Art Therapy?
In a university town built on intellectual achievement, we learn early that value comes from verbal articulation. You defend ideas, publish findings, present arguments. But trauma and grief don’t follow thesis statements. They exist as fragments: the smell of hospital disinfectant, the sounds of sirens or screaming, the color of absence.
Your academic training might actually work against you in traditional therapy. You analyze your patterns brilliantly, create sophisticated narratives about your past, intellectualize your emotions until they’re abstractions.
But your body still carries the weight. You can explain yourself perfectly while being unable to trust anyone. You understand science, while still feeling hijacked by triggers.
The pressure to be articulate — so valued in Eugene's educated community — becomes its own barrier. In faculty meetings, grant applications, and peer reviews, imprecise language is weakness.
But healing requires sitting with the inarticulate, the messy, the undefined. Sometimes a red slash across paper says more about rage and grief than any carefully crafted sentence could.
About Art Therapy
The goal of art therapy isn’t artistic skill or creating something beautiful. It's about using imagery and metaphor to access experiences stored in nonverbal parts of the brain. Traumatic memory, early childhood experiences, and overwhelming emotions often exist as sensory fragments rather than coherent narratives.
In our sessions, you’ll work with basic materials: paper, pencils, perhaps old magazines for collage. You might map your anxiety using only shapes and colors. Create an image of the self you show others versus the self you hide. Draw what grief looks like living in your chest. The images themselves become a bridge between internal experience and external understanding.
We’ll explore what comes out. Sometimes the act of tearing paper for a collage releases something physical. Sometimes seeing your fear externalized on paper makes it less overwhelming. The creative process itself, not just the final product, facilitates healing.
FAqs For Eugene Residents
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Most of my clients say this at first. But art therapy isn't art class; there's no critique, no right way, no judgment. If you can make a mark on paper (and you can), you can do art therapy. Some of my most powerful sessions have involved stick figures and angry scribbles.
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You’ll create in your own space with your own supplies, then hold your art up to the camera or snap a photo to share. Honestly, being in your own Portland home — whether that's a studio in Multnomah Village or a house in Woodstock — often feels safer for vulnerable creative work than a clinical office.
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Sometimes words aren't enough, and that's where art therapy comes in. Many people do both, using art therapy to access and process what verbal therapy can't quite reach. I’m happy to coordinate with your other therapist if you'd like.
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Please contact the Lane County Crisis Unit, or dial 988 if you’re having an emergency. Or visit White Bird Clinic for urgent services.
For community-based support groups, please visit NAMI Lane County.
About Your Eugene Art Therapist
Jeniffer Duncan, LPC, LAT
My Eugene clients — from graduate students to healthcare providers — appreciate having a way to process experiences that their intellectual understanding can't quite reach.
The creative process offers something unique: a way to externalize internal experience without having to find perfect words. Whether you're processing dissertation stress, medical trauma, or grief and loss, art therapy provides a different path forward.
I offer online art therapy throughout Eugene and Oregon, which means you can engage in creative healing from your own space, using whatever materials you have on hand.
Jennifer Duncan, Oregon Licensed Professional Counselor
License #C3022 · Verify with State Board-
Yes, I am currently accepting new clients. I generally work Monday through Wednesday. I have limited afternoon availability, so please contact me to inquire about hours.
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No, I only see clients online.
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My fee is $250 for 55-minutes. If you prefer to work more intensively, I offer 90-minute sessions for $375. If you’d like to schedule a half-day or a multi-day therapy intensive, please see my rates page for more information about package options.
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No, I am not in-network with any insurance company. I would be happy to provide a Superbill (an itemized receipt) for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
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I primarily use art therapy (also called expressive art therapy, or creative art therapy) and somatic therapy.
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Yes, but only when it will be helpful and effective for you. If you’ve already had a lot of talk therapy, it’s likely time to try a more body-based approach.
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I offer complimentary 30-minute consultations to prospective clients so that you and I can get a feel for what it will be like to work together. However, if that doesn’t work for you, I’d be happy to schedule your intake appointment.
Please scroll down to my contact form, or send me a message on my contact page and I will respond within 48 business hours with my availability.
frequently asked questions
Let’s Get Started
Contact Me
Contact me to schedule your first therapy appointment.
Complete this form and I’ll be back in touch via email, text, or phone within 1-2 business days.
Call or Text
503-974-4140
jduncanlpc@gmail.com
Official MAILING ADDRESS (Services are conducted 100% online)
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd. #398
Portland, OR 97206