Meet Nika
HI! My name is Nika Peters. I am genderqueer and use they/them pronouns, have Greek and Jewish ancestry and am anti-colonial and anti-zionist. I am delighted to be opening up my art therapy practice in the beautiful Annapolis Valley, and am a human to two mischievous felines. My education includes an Art Therapy Graduate diploma from the Winnipeg Holistic Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, a Bachelors of Arts from Trent University, and a Waldorf Early Childhood Teaching diploma from the Rudolf Steiner College of Canada. As well I have training in Restorative Circles, a transformative justice process. I am a professional member of the Canadian Art Therapy Association and abide by their standards of practice found here: https://www.canadianarttherapy.org/standards-of-practice
I believe that:
- everyone holds their own key to healing and transformation.
- we all have innate wisdom.
- the practices of art-making can be incredibly supportive to healing journeys.
- the structures in this society: capitalism, colonization and all structures of oppression, are built upon and perpetuate cycles of trauma.
- we live in times of grief and stress as we face the various ecological and climate crises, the housing crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, on-going colonial violence and displacement, and more.
- we are being asked to dive deep into ourselves to meet these times with full hearts, to reach towards liberation. Many of us need new tools to do this.
In my practice I work collaboratively with clients to see what mediums and approaches work best for them. I bring an emphasis of liberation of self intertwined with the collective and am here to support clients in cultivating their own inner-knowing and self-compassion while navigating these challenging times. I am inspired by polyvagal theory, depth psychology, Internal Family Systems theory, and mindfulness and embodiment practices. I have had a meditation practice for the past 20 years and always work to support the client in cultivating their sense of self-compassion.
My relationship to art has been healing as long as I can remember. My mother loves telling a story of when I was three years old. I just had an adenoids operation, and was alone when I woke up. I started crying and crying. When we got home I went straight to my little art table, and it was only after I started painting that my tears subsided. Throughout my teenage years art was a dear companion as I navigated various mental health challenges, and it has been there for me time and time again. Recently my art practice has mainly involved painting a tarot deck which you can find on Instagram @nika.shadowdancer. For more information on bringing tarot to therapy click here.
Before becoming an art therapist I was a school teacher for ten years. My time as a teacher deepened my understanding of children and the challenges they face. During this time I would often joke with my students that they were the teachers and I was the student. And while I love teaching I also felt inspired to learn more, which led me to complete WHEAT institute's Art Therapy diploma program. For more information on my work with children and youth click here,
I have been deeply committed to community organizing for the past 16 years. For more information on offerings related to this please click here.
Interested? Email me with any questions you might have.