Sharona Bookbinder, B.Sc., DTATI, MBA, OATR, RCAT, RP
Sharona is the founder and CEO of InnerArt Inc. Sharona practices as a Registered Psychotherapist & Registered Art Therapist and is recognized as a clinical art therapy supervisor. She is a presenter, author, educator, innovator and leader in healthcare and small business. Practicing for 24 years, she has specialized in geriatric, palliation, cancer care, stroke care, cognitively impaired (dementia and otherwise), developmental delays, and Autistic populations. Recognizing the need for a holistic mind-body approach in the healthcare sector, and having a finite amount of time, Sharona decided to promote Art Therapy through a company that provides the services of qualified & professionally insured art therapists. Public and private organizations continue to employ these professional services. Sharona is always seeking better ways to promote knowledge and education to inform all of the benefits of Art Therapy. With her recent completion of an MBA, Sharona will be focused on growing InnerArt Inc. in a sustainable manner with close attention to quality services. Sharona is the Treasurer of the Canadian Art Therapy Association and is working on her Doctorate of Art Therapy, with the goal of helping to improve client access to art therapy services.
Within the doctorate program, Sharona is able to explore her own creativity and pursue her love of art. The program is designed to use art as research, so students engage in art-making to inform their theories, concepts and ideas. Some of the art she made this summer is included. They represent the incubation of fragile ideas that will come to fruition over time. Images of trees, nests and eggs are the symbols of knowledge, nurturing and fragility of new ideas. Sharona’s favourite art media are textiles, Gelly Roll pens on black card stock, felting and hand-built pottery. She enjoys using her hands to create new and enriching images and objects that express her thoughts and feelings.
Last month, Sharona was a facilitator at North York Arts’ four-part professional workshop series Beyond Access Beyond the Creative (Oct 20 – Nov 28). Titled “Arts & Wellness”, Sharona and other facilitators led participants in the role and impact of the arts in healthcare. Arts & Wellness was presented in partnership with Sunnybrook Hospital Creative Arts Therapies program (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre).
