About Me

Jan Gilbert

As far back as I can remember, I’ve been a theatre geek. As a dorky kid, I often used the characters I played to express emotions that were uncomfortable, to step into roles that were outside my ‘normal,’ as well as build empathy and understanding for myself and others.

The role of theatre in my own life has been powerful and transformational. It offers creativity, play, spontaneity, joy, and community.

Having left undergraduate with degrees in Theatre Performance and Psychology, it felt a natural progression to complete the MA program for Drama Therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies. 

I came up in the age of ‘Blank Slate’ therapists: movies full of Freudian tropes and caricatures of mental health professionals. While there is incredible therapeutic value within the relationship between client and therapist, I believe that value is inextricably linked to the simple fact that we are quite far from blank slates.

(I also know Freud did not meet half of his clients and most of his theories were developed with only a portion of humanity in mind, but I digress). We are all humans and, unlike Freud, I don’t consider myself an expert in anyone else’s life experience. 

In the therapeutic space, I work collaboratively with the expert in your life experience: you.

Using expressive arts, behavioral therapies, psychoeducation, and experiential (on-our-feet) work to integrate mind/body processing and healing, we will work together to support you in working toward whatever goals you have in mind.

Let’s Talk!

Send me a message or go ahead and book your free 15 minute consultation to get started.

Learn More

Read more about my specialties and who I work with or how the therapy process works.