Joyce VandeGriend is a registered art therapist (British Columbia Art Therapy Association) who specializes in working with children and youth with problems that interfere with school and/or family life.

She has extensive experience working with children and youth with Complex PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), depression, and grief as she worked as an emergency psychiatric nurse at BC Children’s hospital at the CAPE (Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Emergency) unit for the province.

She has taken courses specific to suicide prevention; training for Aboriginal front-line workers and counsellors of residential school Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors (specialized healing/grief workshop) and "Through the Pain to Wellness" (Community based response to Aboriginal suicide: workshop).

She has extensive experience working in acute care with youth and young adults with concurrent disorders in hospital settings and in the community.
 

She has taught art therapy Masters graduate students at Adler University, facilitated groups for elementary school one to one support workers, at risk kindergarten children, physiotherapy students, restorative justice and healing for persons who have been sexually assaulted, and groups for women living with cancer.

Joyce is a Canadian-Dutch artist, art therapist, and registered nurse living in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Her artwork draws upon her love of all things nautical; diverse interludes such as illustrating in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at BC Children’s Hospital; and, courtroom illustrations at the Air India Trial in Vancouver. 

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