Training

Studio Solace

Join master's student Stefanie Munro, with the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute, for an 8-week art therapy open studio. What is an art therapy open studio? It's a group-based approach that emphasizes the therapeutic process of creating art. The main focus is on the experience of creating art, not on making a "good" final product. No prior art experience is required. 

This online group will provide a supportive environment for individuals managing burnout, stress, or overwhelm. Through creative expression, participants can build resilience and learn practical tools for future self-care.

In this group, you’ll find a safe space to pause, create, and breathe again. Mental health resources will be shared, and through artmaking, you’ll discover gentle ways to ease burnout, soothe stress, and bring healing into your everyday life.

Come as you are and leave with new tools, fresh perspectives, and a renewed sense of community.

What to Bring

Simple art materials you likely already have at home are all you need; you can also pick up a few items at a dollar store. Consider bringing a journal or sketchbook to keep your thoughts, artwork, and insights in one place.

About the facilitator

After more than a decade as an elementary and music teacher, Stefanie Munro transitioned to studying art therapy. She is continually inspired by how art therapy transforms creativity into a pathway for healing, allowing individuals to explore emotions, share their stories, and cultivate self-awareness through every brushstroke, shape, and color. Understanding that depression and seasonal affective disorder can impact mood, energy, and daily life, Stefanie is specializing in supporting those navigating these challenges. She is passionate about helping people discover creative ways to cope, restore balance, and nurture their overall well-being.

Session Dates & Descriptions:

You can attend one, some, or all sessions. You do not need to attend all 8 weeks

Session #1: Understanding Stress & Burnout

January 22nd, 2026
7 PM - 9 PM

Clarify the difference between acute stress, chronic stress, and burnout. Identify common contributors at the personal, organizational, and systemic levels.

Session #2: The Science of Stress: How the Body and Brain Respond

January 29th, 2026
1 PM - 3 PM

Explore the physiological and psychological mechanisms of stress. Examine how prolonged activation impacts cognition, mood, energy, and performance.

Session #3: Boundaries, Workload, and Energy Management

February 5th, 2026
7 PM - 9 PM

Assess patterns that lead to overextension. Learn evidence-based boundary-setting strategies to protect time, energy, and emotional bandwidth.

Session #4: Reducing Overload: Prioritization & Sustainable Productivity

February 12th, 2026
1 PM - 3 PM

Develop tools to identify essential tasks, reduce unnecessary commitments, and create realistic expectations.

Session #5: Interrupting Burnout Patterns

February 26th, 2026
7 PM - 9 PM

Identify early warning signs and recurring burnout cycles. Learn cognitive and behavioral strategies for course-correction before collapse.

Session #6: Resilience Micro-Practices

March 5th, 2026 
1 PM - 3 PM

Practice brief, research-supported techniques for nervous-system regulation, stress recovery, and emotional grounding that fit into everyday life.

Session #7: Rebuilding Engagement & Meaning

March 12th, 2026
7 PM - 9 PM

Examine the role of creativity, joy, and personal values in long-term well-being. Explore strategies for restoring motivation and preventing emotional exhaustion.

Session #8: Creating an Anti-Burnout Plan

March 19th, 2026
1 PM - 3 PM

Exploring burnout, growing resilience, and tracking balance over time. Identify supports, sustainable habits, and indicators for maintaining equilibrium.

*These art sessions are offered by a student currently in training, not by a registered art therapist. As such, these sessions are not clinical art therapy and should not be considered a substitute for professional mental-health treatment, diagnosis, or therapeutic services.

Stefanie is supervised by a registered art therapy clinician and for educational purposes, photos of participant artwork may be requested. Photos may be taken of artwork, never of identifiable images of participants, and only with informed consent. Participants have full autonomy to refuse the request of artwork image capture.