Your creativity lights you up like nothing else does. When you’re immersed in the creative process you feel deeply connected with yourself.

But you can’t seem to make it a priority. You have so many demands on your time that by the end of the day, the energy you would need for your art is totally depleted.

You didn’t anticipate that not having time for creativity would be the same as losing a part of who you are.

Being highly sensitive in a busy world means you’re often overwhelmed with continuous emotional input. In the past, this excess of emotion is when you would dive into your creative work.

Now it’s easier to check out with Netflix than spend time with the deepest parts of yourself. But you’re feeling detached and lacking passion now that “flow” is missing from your life.

Here you are: Afraid you may never get back to the thing that gave you the most joy. Afraid your life will keep skimming the surface, without true fulfillment. Afraid you may procrastinate indefinitely.

You’re not sure what your next steps are…

The truth is, while there are many sounds around and within you that distract and generate self-doubt: underneath all of it lies your true voice. Healing starts with cutting through the noise, and listening deeply to what that voice is saying.

I will help you clear self-critical thoughts and connect to your senses, emotions, and unconscious world, to strengthen access to your creative flow. As you feel a surge of inspiration and dive into your creative work, you will begin to experience more passion for your life and the beauty in it.

When You Seek Support for Creativity with Melanie you will:

  • Stop getting lost in a thousand distractions and start finding your FOCUS

  • Stop procrastinating and start doing the work that makes you FEEL ALIVE

  • Stop skimming the surface of your life and GO DEEPER into your creativity

  • Stop letting your life pass you by and EXPLORE what brings you MEANING

  • Go from irritable and dissatisfied to CONTENT and INVIGORATED

The Therapy for Creativity Process

Together you and I will work together to get to the heart of your creative blocks. We will help you to transform overwhelm and paralysis into creative flow and play. Here’s how we get there:

Addressing the blocks. Therapy is an opportunity to identify and work out your blocks to the creative process. Blocks often include: procrastination, difficulty focusing, self-criticism and doubt. Often working to ease anxiety and improve your sense of self-worth helps in this process.

Experiential. We do writing exercises in the session to hold the space for you as you engage in the creative process. We use approaches that help you get past the critical mind to open up your creativity. We are usually delighted in what emerges -- no matter how “good” or “bad”.

Emotions and unconscious. In helping you build awareness of your emotions, body, and unconscious world, therapy allows you to access the deep well of creativity that naturally resides within you. You are encouraged to record and bring in dreams, and we will discuss how to cultivate this practice.

Your creative story. We explore your creative history including positive influences (experiences that have encouraged you) and negative influences (when you have felt criticized or people who failed to appreciate your work) on your creative spirit and confidence. We help you “rewrite” the narrative, as well as rediscover what makes you feel alive, passionate, and inspired to create.  

Play. In both therapy and the creative process we are playing -- an attitude of spontaneity and a stance of being comfortable with “not knowing” exactly what will emerge. In therapy we practice how to be with the excitement and joy of the creative process as it unfolds -- as something completely novel comes into existence.

Mindfulness. Focusing on our creative task with a clear mind without judgment allows you to create with immediacy, expressing the essence of what is inside of you in whatever form we choose. Indeed, mindfulness skills which train you to pay less attention to critical thoughts and to immerse yourself in the moment, are excellent in training for engagement in the creative process.

Here's what to expect:

FIRST CONTACT: Free phone consult

Prior to beginning treatment, I offer a free 15-minute initial phone consult to learn more about you and your current circumstances to determine if I am a good fit for your needs. If we are a good match we will schedule an intake session. I will also send you a link to complete my intake paperwork online, and you can submit that to me electronically before your first session.

WEEKS ONE through THREE: Intake

These initial sessions will give us a chance to get to know each other. I will gather information about your current struggles and your history, and you will get a chance to see how I work. We also will identify how you want to feel, what you want your life to look like, and establish goals which guide our way in moving forward.

WEEK FOUR and Beyond: Creativity Therapy Sessions for Adults  

At this point, you will attend regular therapy sessions. A typical course of treatment calls for meeting weekly for at least a year. However, we may alter this course, depending on the transformation you are looking to achieve. You and I will work through struggles that are coming up in your creative work through the integration of techniques from psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, and experiential therapy. Creativity therapy is often integrated into traditional therapy, however, can be the sole focus of counseling.

Ending: The Final Sessions

As you get closer to your therapy goals, we will develop a plan for transitioning you into a life without weekly therapy. We will set a time for which to end treatment, and review the work we have done, and the changes you have made. We will also anticipate challenges that may come up once you end treatment and discuss how you might successfully weather these. Our goal is for you to integrate what you have gained in therapy into your everyday life.

More About Me:

MELANIE EISNER COUNSELING IS A PLACE FOR SENSITIVE PEOPLE WHO OFTEN DOUBT THEMSELVES. PEOPLE WHO FAIL TO SEE THEIR INCREDIBLE VALUE. PEOPLE WHO TEND TO OTHERS BEFORE THEMSELVES. I HELP YOU MEET YOURSELF IN YOUR MESSY AND BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTION, BUILD COMPASSION FOR YOURSELF, AND RECOGNIZE THE GIFTS THAT YOU INNATELY POSSESS.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker I create a space for you to find a sense of calm amidst the noise of a demanding world. Through a blend of mindfulness, psychodynamic, and experiential therapy, I help you to connect to your emotions and physical body and appreciate the twists, turns, and depths of your own story without self-criticism. Ultimately I support you as you begin to live your life with more fullness, clarity and joy.

  • I BELIEVE THAT SHOWING KINDNESS TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE, BURIED SPACES IS CENTRAL TO FINDING PEACE WITHIN OURSELVES.

  • MY MISSION IS TO SUPPORT YOU AS YOU DIVE INTO THOSE FEARFUL SPACES, ON YOUR PATH TO LIVING WITH MORE CONNECTION, SATISFACTION, AND MEANING.

  • I AM DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU WITH DEPTH, AUTHENTICITY, AND PRESENCE.

You can read more about my training and specialties here.

Who Benefits Most from Creativity Therapy?

Therapy for creativity is best for those who want a deeper level of healing and want to bring about lasting change in their lives.

You will benefit from Creativity Therapy sessions if:

  • You want to get back to an artistic passion but are held back by fear or procrastination.

  • You have creative interests or you sense you have creativity that is untapped.

  • You want to get started on a particular creative project but feel stuck.

  • You are a perfectionist, or critical of your work before you let yourself start.

  • You feel like you are lacking passion in your life.

Learn more about Therapy for Creativity

What Does Therapy for Creativity Cost?

$200 per 50 minute session.

Cash, Check, Credit Cards, and HSA/FSA cards are accepted.

Do you take insurance?

I am not in-network with any insurance companies. I am considered an out-of-network provider. I will provide you with a superbill after every appointment which contains all of the information your insurance company will need to reimburse you. To find out your out-of-network benefits for psychotherapy, contact your insurance company.

Where and When Can I Schedule Therapy for Creativity?

All appointments are held at my office in Bethesda, in a building that is in close proximity to the metro (red line) and offers free parking. I also offer video sessions for clients who reside within Maryland and Washington, D.C. My office is open from 10AM-7PM from Monday through Thursday. Please contact me at 443.971.1836 or melanie@melanieeisner.com to set up your initial phone consultation.

Your Next Steps:

It is possible to have greater access to your creativity and experience more fulfillment in your life. In therapy you will be able to connect to your emotions, clear distractions, and focus on your creative work. You will see that you when you stop getting hung up on what is good or bad, you can open to what deep inside of you needs to be expressed, and be delighted by the treasures that may emerge.

Right now, feeling connected to your creativity seem a long way off, but that doesn’t mean you can start by taking the first small step on the path to healing your creative blocks.

And the support of a caring professional is integral as a guide for you in this journey. By working together we will help you to cultivate curiosity about yourself -- including your emotions, unconscious energies, and creative life story. You’ll be able to feel more present and immerse yourself in your creative process, and even be spontaneous and take creative risks. Ultimately you’ll move past a deep sense of feeling not good enough and start seeing that you are able to experience the joy and connection to yourself that comes from engaging in your own creative work.

To schedule an appointment for Creativity Therapy call 443.971.1836 today