Celina Paul, (She, her, hers)
Celina is a Professional Counseling Associate and Art Therapy Associate. She is passionate about helping
children and teens connect with their families and the larger world, in healthy, safe and identity affirming ways. Celina works with children, teens, young adults, parents, guardians, teachers, and caregivers.
Much of Celina’s work is centered in helping children learn to navigate their emotional landscapes, including Emotional Regulation, Social-Emotional Learning, and healthy connection with family and peers. This helps to build self-esteem, confidence in communication, as well as awareness of their social spaces and impacts.
Helping clients identify and utilize learning, communication, and self-awareness strategies as they navigate living with Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, and Trauma is very meaningful work for her. She works within a strengths-based, client-centered, trauma informed lens, and relies on art therapy, a systems framework, attachment theory, as well as an awareness of intergenerational trauma. Celina works collaboratively with clients to assist their growth and goal development in sustainable and affirming ways.
In addition to working with clients individually, she also offers Parent/Caregiver support sessions, Art Therapy based Social Skills Groups, Emotional Regulation Groups, ADHD based Skills groups, and also enjoys offering Caregiver-Child connection and repair sessions. Celina completed her Master’s in Art Therapy from Lewis & Clark in 2023 and is working towards LPC licensure, as well as her Art Therapy licensure. She completed her clinical experience working with teens and children in a school focused on Mental Health, Social
Emotional Learning, and behavioral skill sets.
Before her art therapy focus, Celina worked as a professional painter and printmaker, as well as a teaching artist in Title 1 public schools in the bay area. Having noticed the impacts of art materials and processes in her students, she wanted to continue learning the science behind how art connects people in meaningful ways, opening new doors to transformative behavior. Celina will be completely trained in EMDR by mid-August 2024.
She also worked as a program manager for a nonprofit supporting pediatric cancer hospital programs (Stanford Hospital and UCSF Pediatric Children's Hospital) leading art workshops with children and families navigating pediatric cancer under the supervision of art therapists, which continued to fuel and inspire her quest for education and career transition.
On her days off, she loves to create art, and spends a lot of time hiking, paddle boarding and
gardening with her family and friends.