About Lee Ann Thill
Expert care with a therapist who values your perspective
Therapy for neurodivergent & LGBTQ+ young people (ages 10-20) who have trouble managing their emotions
In-Person in Gibbsboro, NJ
Virtual in NJ, CT & PA
Here’s a little about me to help you decide if I can meet your kid’s needs.
I’m Lee Ann Thill.
Artist. Type 1 diabetic. Neurodivergent. Queer. Feminist. Vegan. Caregiver to dogs, cats & a blind bird. Knows therapy works because I’ve been there.
And most importantly…
Ready to help your child be their best self.
I want to help your kid respond to their struggles with self-compassion, self-awareness and hope. Making changes to feel better doesn’t mean changing who they are.
Thus, I want to help your child get the most out of art therapy, so they’re less likely to lose control when they have big feelings:
- Discover their capacity to look at things from different angles
- Be gentle with themselves as they take developmentally appropriate risks and learn
- See themselves in a brighter light
Fewer emotional crises will mean more time for them to do the things they enjoy, and for you and your family, calm and balance at home.
Services:
Therapy Style
My style is easygoing and empathetic with an emphasis on feedback and connection. I believe in building a responsive relationship so you feel heard and seen, cared for and understood.
People are often uncertain when they come to art therapy, not knowing what to expect and concerned about their skill level. I offer specific art tasks with familiar art materials to help you feel comfortable and develop confidence. When you’re ready, we can work together to decide materials and topics that you’re interested in exploring.
My approach is intended to lead to a-ha moments, improve emotional wellbeing and expression, and be playful and relaxing. Above all, I’ll support your effort to grow and make the changes you want for yourself or your child.
Therapy Philosophy
My guiding values are Creativity, Compassion and Care – the 3 C’s – because they add joy and meaning to life.
However, society doesn’t always value these qualities, which adds to the pain that brings people to therapy. The 3 C’s are key to my therapy approach because of their role in healing emotional wounds so you or your child can thrive.
Your kid is the focus in therapy, but the effects of therapy extend outwards to all the people and communities they’ll touch that give their life meaning. I hope they’ll develop a sense of empowerment and energy and become a force for good as they continue to grow and recognize their influence on the world around them.
Commitment to Cultural Humility
It’s difficult to distill this topic to talking points that don’t sound like platitudes. However, I’ll explain why this is important to me and what it means when I work with your family.
Growing up with type 1 diabetes, I was treated differently, felt excluded, and felt shame about myself as a diabetic. Much of my time in therapy as a young person was working through that. Thankfully, I had some great therapists, who were commited to helping me.
That experience of feeling different has heightened my sensitivity to the many ways people are excluded and underestimated. I attended my first protest in high school, in support of abortion rights. Over the years, I’ve developed a committed to a range of social causes, including disability rights, lgbtq+ rights, racial justice, animal rights and climate justice.
My experiences will be different from your kid’s, but they’re a starting point for connecting to people who feel excluded and unseen. People from marginalized groups have concerns shaped by their life experience and structural inequality, and my approach considers social context.
Overall, I want to collaborate with your kid to explore their specific needs and circumstances, with an emphasis on empowerment that honors your identity.
My Story
My path to being a therapist started as a client. Therapy helped me deal with depression, diabetes distress and an eating disorder in my teens and 20’s. These life experiences inform who I am as a person and how I work as a therapist.
When not seeing clients, I volunteer, taking care of adoptable cats, and I teach art therapy students. I’m a nerdy homebody who likes to garden, cook, make art, and be with my husband and our family of rescued animals. I love Philly sports and adore Gritty. I have a weird grab bag of media interests, including history books, funny TV, depressing movies, political podcasts, and a decent collection of mostly 70’s and 80’s vinyl.
I’m committed to liberation politics – gender equity, racial justice, climate justice, queer rights & animal rights – and I value learning, helping others & kindness.
Credentials
Lee Ann received her BFA in ceramics and painting & drawing from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, MA in art therapy from Drexel University, and PhD in expressive therapies from Lesley University. She’s a registered and board-certified art therapist through ATCB with art therapy licenses in New Jersey and Connecticut and counseling license in Pennsylvania.
Consistency instead of chaos. Peace instead of power struggles.
Your child can be less frustrated and embarrassed about losing control. You can have less conflict at home and more joy spending time with your child.