About Us

Founded in 1991 by Claudia Raphael, CREATE A STORY is a healing arts studio currently based in Santa Fe, NM. Courage most certainly is required when dealing with seemingly unknown forces that invite deep psychic dialogue and transformation. Claudia believes the indigenous pearls of wisdom and their ancient practices — especially art and story making — can secure the much sought-after gifts of balance and renewal during such opportune times. The expressive arts have a mission and can offer a very real and practical means of helping all people of all ages integrate and heal during times of growth, transition, and change. To prevent unnecessary derailments, it may prove essential to supplement the need for inner work with a regular energetic and nurturing therapeutic touch.

• Collaboratively assist people of all ages to discover their roots and grow their wings by uncovering their innate ability to vision, remain present, live their story, and become comfortable with Silence.
• Enhance this transformative process with the tools of journeying, mediation, art making, and energetic awareness.
• Provide multiple opportunities to ignite the imagination and open the heart.
• By modeling and living a dedicated and vigilant commitment to know thyself, contribute to a peaceful world vision.

• Arrien, A. (1993). The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary. New York: HarperCollins Publisher.
• Fernald, P. S. (2000). Carl Rogers: Body-centered counselor. Journal of Counseling and Development, 78(2), 172-179.
• Hendricks, M. N. (2007). The role of experiencing in psychotherapy: Attending to the bodily felt sense” of a problem makes any orientation more effective. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 37, 41-46. doi: 10.1007/s10879-006-9033-x
• Holmes, C. A. (1991). The wounded healer. The Society for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 6(4), 33–36.
• Mair, M. (1988). Psychology of storytelling. International Journal of Personal Construct Psychology, 1(2), 125–137. doi:10.1080/10720538808412771
• Moon, B. (2009). Existential Art Therapy: The Canvas Mirror. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers, LTD.
• Moon, B. L. (2007). The Role of Metaphor in Art Therapy: Theory, Method, and Experience. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers, LTD.
• Pearce, J.C. (2012) The Heart-Mind Matrix: How the Heart Can Teach the Mind New Ways to Think. Rochester, Vermont: Park Street Press.
• Rogers, N. (1993). The creative Connection: Expressive Arts as Healing. Palo Alto, CA: Science & Behavior Books, Inc.
• Sardello, Robert. (2008) Silence: The Mystery of Wholeness. Benson, North Carolina: Heaven & Earth Publishing.
• Waterman, R. (2009). Mandala of the Soul: A Spiritual Approach to the Art of Archetypal Psychology. Santa Fe, NM: Southwestern College.