Behind The Mask: A Therapeutic Art Exploration

Behind the Mask: A Therapeutic Art Exploration
July 19, 2026 | 1:00 – 3:00 PM

Description: What masks do you wear in your everyday life? Many of us present different versions of ourselves depending on where we are and who we are with. Some masks help us feel accepted. Some keep us safe during difficult times. Others were created long ago as ways of belonging, surviving, meeting expectations, or navigating the challenges of life.

While these masks often serve an important purpose, they can sometimes create distance from the deeper parts of ourselves. Beneath every mask lives a more authentic self waiting to be heard. Join Registered Canadian Art Therapist, somatic counsellor, artist, author, and international presenter Charmaine Husum for a creative and reflective afternoon of mask making, self-discovery, and artistic exploration.

Using a variety of materials, participants will design and create their own personal mask while exploring themes of identity, authenticity, resilience, and self-awareness. Through guided reflection, mindfulness practices, embodied awareness exercises, and creative expression, you will be invited to explore both what you show to the world and what may live beneath the surface.

Drawing from principles of neuroscience, mindfulness, creativity, and Somatic Art Therapy, this workshop offers an engaging and accessible way to deepen self-awareness while discovering how creative expression can support personal growth and emotional well-being.

Participants Will Explore

• The different masks we wear in daily life
• How protective patterns develop and serve us
• The connection between creativity, self-awareness, and emotional well-being
• Principles of neuroplasticity and creative self-expression
• Somatic mindfulness practices that encourage presence and inner connection
• Ways to access authenticity, resilience, and personal insight through art-making

Participants Will Leave With

• A completed personal mask artwork to take home
• Increased self-awareness and personal insight
• Practical mindfulness and grounding tools
• A deeper understanding of the connection between creativity and well-being
• New perspectives on identity, authenticity, and personal growth

A supportive sharing circle will be offered at the end of the workshop for those who wish to share their experience, though participation is always optional.

Whether you consider yourself artistic, creatively curious, or simply looking for a meaningful and enriching experience, this workshop welcomes you exactly as you are.

No artistic experience is necessary.

Audience: Adults

Level of Experience: All levels of experience

Supplies: All materials included.

Registration Cost: $90 + fees & GST

OPEN TO EVERYONE—NO ART EXPERIENCE NEEDED

Instructor Bio: 

Charmaine Husum, RCAT, MTC, RCS, CT, DKATI, is an artist, Registered Canadian Art Therapist, somatic counsellor, kundalini yoga instructor, author, and international presenter. Through her practice, Centre of the HeArt, she integrates creative process, body awareness, and neuroscience to support meaningful self-exploration, resilience, and personal growth. Her work draws on trauma-informed, mindfulness-based, and somatic approaches, offering accessible ways for individuals to reconnect with themselves through creativity. Charmaine teaches both in-person and online, including with the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute, and is dedicated to supporting others in accessing their innate capacity for healing and transformation.

 You can access her courses at https://courses.centreoftheheart.com

 And more info on her web site at www.centreoftheheart.com