Kimberly is an art therapist and a meditation teacher living in North Vancouver, British Columbia.
From as early as I can remember, I have been captivated by human behaviour. I am forever amazing at how no two people are the same. Each of us is formed through a singular blend of biology, lived experience, culture, and connection.
My childhood was spent absorbing and witnessing different cultures and landscapes. I was born in Vancouver and raised in Pakistan, Egypt, Ghana, Jamaica, and Ukraine. During my early twenties I moved to China and then to Australia, where I found my passion in art therapy and meditation. I spent a decade living in Australia, and in 2024 I returned to my birthplace in North Vancouver with my husband and our two daughters.
My Approach to Therapy
My art therapy practice is rooted in compassion and a deep respect for each person’s inner world. I draw on a blend of theoretical approaches that support emotional healing. Jungian Psychology is a major aspect of my work. I believe in the wisdom of the unconscious and the power of symbolism.
Art therapy provides an alternative way to explore and express emotional experience beyond words. Creating an image, even a stick figure, can make space for feelings that are difficult to articulate. Through metaphor and symbolism, overwhelming experiences can be externalized and approached with psychological distance. This allows painful material to be explored safely, without becoming reactivated. Essentially art therapy is about using creative expression as a tool for insight, regulation, and healing.
A big part of who I am, and the reason I work in art therapy, is because of my sister, Elizabeth. On October 13th, 2013 my sister died of suicide. Her loss pierced through the layers of beliefs and foundations on which I saw the world. It led me on a journey towards understanding my own mortality and seeking answers through therapy and spirituality.
I know firsthand that grief, trauma, and questions of meaning can’t always be spoken. Sometimes, they need to be painted, drawn, or simply witnessed in a safe and accepting space. That’s what I hope to offer in my practice: a space where your story can unfold in its own time, through your own language, whether that’s spoken or unspoken.
Discovering Art Therapy
I’ve been on a painful journey through grief which ultimately led to a career in art therapy. In many ways, it feels like it found me. My sister was also a gifted artist and I believe my work pays tribute to her life. I know she would have loved art therapy. If only we’d known more about it at the time.
Art in all of its forms can be a powerful tool for processing emotions, reducing anxiety, and increasing feelings of connection. Loneliness and isolation is an epidemic in our modern lives. I believe our innate ability for creativity can be a powerful form of healing.
I don’t see what I do now as work or a career, but more as a life purpose. Everything I went through brought me exactly where I am today. Although it’s not the journey I wanted, I’m grateful for every part of it for making me the person I am today.
Qualifications
- Master of Counselling Psychology (In Progress)
Yorkville University, Vancouver, B.C. Expected completion: 2027 - Advanced Standing – Advanced Diploma Art Therapy
Vancouver Art Therapy Institute, Vancouver, BC. 2025. - Diploma of Meditation Teaching
Meditation Teacher Training College, Sydney, Australia. 2021 - Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Art Therapy (Psychological–Spiritual model)
College of Complementary Medicine, Sydney, Australia. 2020 - Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. 2013
Blog posts
If love could have saved you
Because the truth is, my sister did not die of cancer or in a car accident. She died of suicide.
Memento Mori
It’s strange how death is so taboo in our society. Death is a part of life, a part we can’t escape. It doesn’t matter who you are, death does not discriminate. Why can’t we talk about something we will all face? Why do we hide it?
Spiritual Books That Changed My Life
Over the past few years, I’ve outgrown atheism and become a spiritual person. These are some of the books that played a huge role on my road to spirituality.
Kimberly Hetherington 