Art It Out Therapy Center provides individual and group therapy services to children and teens, ages 3-18. Our mission is to help children and teens tap into their creativity to communicate feelings, gain coping skills, learn anger management strategies, reduce anxiety, improve social skills, and increase self-esteem. Our staff includes two art therapists, a play therapist, and a child counselor.
We are located in Marietta, GA at: 1640 Powers Ferry Rd, Building 3, Suite 200, Marietta, GA 30067.
meet our therapists
Teresa Harris Woodruff, LPC, ATR, CTS
Teresa is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Registered Art Therapist (ATR), Georgia Certified Art Teacher, and Trauma and Loss Clinical Specialist (CTS). She studied art education at the University of Georgia, where she had the opportunity to teach art to elementary students in Cortona, Italy for a semester. It was in Italy where she learned about art therapy and how art could help children who are struggling with emotional issues. She then received her Master's in Counseling with a concentration in Art Therapy from the University of Louisville.
Teresa has worked in a number of therapeutic settings such as hospitals, schools, Beyond Words Center for Social Skills, The Bridge Family Center (a residential treatment center for adolescents), Kate's Club (a free support group for grieving children), and Hatch's House of Hope (a free support group for children with a past cancer diagnosis in Chattanooga, TN). Teresa served as Georgia Art Therapy Association's delegate in 2008, treasurer in 2009, and vice president in 2010.
Teresa combines making art with psychotherapy to help children and adolescents increase self-esteem, develop anger management strategies, reduce anxiety, deal with major life transitions, work through grief and loss, and expand communication. Teresa specializes in working with clients who have low self-esteem, anxiety, difficulty adjusting to parental divorce, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Developmental Disorders, or an acute or chronic medical illness. Teresa also sees clients who do not have a diagnosis but would benefit from gaining coping skills for dealing with life's stressors.
Alison Ratner, LCSW
Alison is a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She received her Masters of Social Work (MSW) from the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work in 2005 and has a BA in Psychology from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Alison's experience includes working with children, adolescents, families, and groups. She has worked in a number of therapeutic settings such as a residential treatment facility for adolescents, a free outpatient center for children and families, an outpatient community mental health center, a private practice social skills center for children, a school for children with developmental disabilities, and currently in private practice.
She has a passion for working with children, teens, and families and helping others find happiness and stability in their lives. She currently focuses on working with individuals and families with diagnoses such as ADHD, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, Depression, Developmental Disabilities, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, and Attachment issues. Other topics Alison has experience working with include: self-esteem, parent-child relationships, sibling relationships, grief and loss, sibling support, sexual orientation, bullying, or life transitions.
In Alison's practice, children are given the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings and learn how to do so more successfully in their natural environments, as well. Utilizing child-centered and child-specific techniques such as play, art, bibliotherapy (the use of books in therapy), writing, relaxation, and skill building, each child will find a warm and open place to work through their stressors and struggles. Children will gain the necessary coping skills to keep in their "tool box" for life and will benefit from positive growth and increased self-esteem. Alison provides individual therapy for children and adolescents; family therapy; sibling therapy; parent training or support; and group therapy services.
Alison is also available for contract work in schools or agency settings providing group therapy or other therapeutic services. For more information on contracting Alison for your school or agency, please contact her directly at: alison@artitout.org
Miranda S. Smith, LAPC
Miranda is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC) and an art therapist. She studied psychology and studio art at Randolph Macon Woman's College, Virginia. During her undergraduate studies she learned about art therapy, a type of psychotherapy that integrates something that she enjoys doing: art. Miranda graduated with a Master's in Counseling with a concentration in art therapy from the University of Louisville, Kentucky. Miranda is currently a member of the American Art Therapy Association and the Georgia Art Therapy Association.
Miranda's experience has included work with children and adolescents at an in-patient psychiatric hospital and in elementary schools. She used art therapy as a method help children and adolescents work through trauma, grief and loss, separation issues, anxiety, ADHD, and appropriate expression of feelings. Upon graduation, Miranda has become trained and specialized in working with our Troops and Veterans who have suffered from combat stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, mild Traumatic Brain Injury, and other service related injuries. This work has also been extended to working with Military Families who experience secondary trauma and deployment related issues. Currently, Miranda also works with grief and loss with children and adolescents at other counseling centers.
Through the use of expressive arts, people of all ages and stages of life become aware their self and the impact of different and sometimes difficult life circumstances. During a session with Miranda, a safe and non-judgmental environment is created. Miranda uses a client-centered and cognitive-behavioral approach integrated with positive regard and the expressive arts during sessions. Miranda conducts individual and group art therapy sessions.
Catherine Schenck, LPC, RPT
Catherine Schenck is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Registered Play Therapist (RPT). She studied at Georgia College & State University, where she earned her Bachelors in Psychology and played on the softball team for four years. Later she returned to school to earn her Masters Degree in Counseling and Psychology and eventually her credential as a Registered Play Therapist.
Catherine is a Child-Centered Play Therapist, meaning that she allows the child to take the lead in their sessions. As opposed to traditional talk therapy, Play Therapy allows children to use play as their language and toys as their words. Because children do not have the language skills that adults do, it is necessary for them to be able to use play to communicate. Catherine also uses Sandtray Therapy, which a dynamic and expressive form of psychotherapy that allows clients to express their inner worlds through symbol and metaphor.
Catherine has worked in a variety of environments, including home, agency and school settings providing individual, family and group therapy.
She specializes in working with children ages 3-18. She has experience working with many different childhood issues including ADHD, school concerns, depression, anxiety, adjustment issues, trauma, grief/loss, and attachment/bonding difficulties. Catherine also uses filial therapy to work with parents who are good candidates, teaches parenting skills and provides consultations alongside Play Therapy.