Meet the Mentor:
Lyndsey Rocca
Porch doodler, beach dweller, sidewalk adventurer, lover of wind… warm and curious, wild soul, humble mentor.
My Creds
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist (acquiring hours toward licensure through the California BBS - AMFT #120378)
Registered Expressive Arts Therapist in training (acquiring hours toward certification through IEATA)
Master’s in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies (graduated 2020)
B.A. in Psychology, Minor in Global Peace & Security from UC Santa Barbara (graduated 2011)
Currently working as a Clinical Art Therapist and youth grief counselor at Sutter Hospital in Sacramento (2022->)
Worked as a youth grief counselor through Hospice of Santa Cruz County (2020/2021)
Worked as a mental health counselor for middle schoolers aged 11-14 (2019/2020)
Volunteered as youth mentor in Mendihuaca, Colombia (2015/2016)
And yes, I speak some Spanish, but not fluently. I am still learning and always eager for opportunities to practice.
Lifetime of experience finding joy, growth and healing through creative expression (1989->)
My favorite mediums: black ink drawing, kitchen dance parties, “junk collages” (broken sea shells, old receipts, candy wrappers, etc.), flower pressing, river rock hopping, handmade cards, homemade soups, playlist curation, mountain carving on my snowboard, “moment of beauty” journaling, community art parties, traveling solo, bonfire building, rock collecting, face painting, and barefoot belly laughing… at myself and the divine comedy that is life! …just to name a few :)
If you’re a young person…
I‘ve been there. When I was a teenager, I struggled with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem; I didn’t know where I fit in the world, and couldn’t understand why I felt so unhappy all the time. I turned to destructive habits as a way to cope, and found myself in a troubled place, both on the outside and the inside. I tried counseling a number of times, but struggled to find someone who I believed was truly on my side… who was interested in my story the way I wanted it to be told... and who wasn’t trying to label or “fix” me.
I started my mentorship program because I want to offer something different for young people who are looking for the same things I was: someone you can talk to without fear of being judged, someone who can offer ways of exploring feelings, ideas and perspectives through means OTHER than talking (art, music, movement.. whatever you’re into!), and someone who is genuinely concerned with helping you create a happy, healthy life that you feel proud of, without any set ideas about what that life *should* look like.
Oh, and somewhere to do all of this that’s not a stuffy therapy office! That’s why our meetings are held outside, at a local creative space, from the comfort of your home via Zoom, or anywhere else where you feel comfortable, brave and authentically you.
If you’re a parent, guardian, teacher or friend…
My goal is to provide young people with one more person in their corner – someone they can bounce ideas off of who isn’t their parent or their coach or their teacher, nor their best friend. Someone who can support them as they navigate life’s challenges, befriend their more difficult emotions, and explore big questions about who they are, what’s important to them, and how they want to show up in the world, without fear of judgement, pressure to behave a certain way, or to choose one path over another – a rare find for many of today’s youth.
With my Expressive Arts Therapy training and experience working with youth in counseling settings, I hope to help young people discover their unique strengths and goals through connection with their creative spirit, the power of everyday ritual, and an increased sense of belonging within their community and the natural world – all of which are tools and resources they can carry with them as they move through each phase of life.
