First Book Available Under Our New Imprint

Announcing KATI’s new publishing imprint

Essenze is the new publishing arm of the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute. Our vision for Essenze is to offer a wide variety of art therapy publications in different formats; we expect to publish new editions and new books by KATI's founder, Monica Carpendale, as well as other publications aligned with our vision of supporting the growth of art therapy in Canada.

Our first publication

We are delighted to announce the publication of our first book, Looking Ahead is Looking Behind, created by Samantha Strachan, a recent graduate of KATI's diploma program. This is a remarkable healing journey, expressed in art and poetry - in Samantha's own words: 

the intentionality of this compilation is to share my story; to honour, acknowledge, and explore my personal journey and evolving relationship with art therapy.

a living piece of a/r/tography, a remnant, and marker in time, this book documents and organically investigates a ritualistic process of curating and hosting a solo retrospective art exhibition.

to understand the impacts and potency of this ritual and further reflect upon my personal experiences, i explore my own process and identity as an emerging art therapist, through documentation and the formation of this book.

framed within the larger context of my life, this retrospective of art encompasses a diverse and idiosyncratic timeline through my journey of discovering the value of artistic expression as a therapeutic modality; as well as, what it means to be a healer.

through my own organic inquiry with the curation and documentation of this process, i intend to create an experience that will stimulate curiosity and generate data about the therapeutic potential of art making and exhibiting, while demonstrating the intertwined identities of ARTIST, therapist and researcher.

samantha strachan, an emerging art therapist, shares and examines her lived experiences through an authoethnographic artist book and the investigative method of artography. inquiring into the healing power of creativity through ritual, arts-based data and poetic distillation, she tells the story of her evolving relationship to art therapy.

poems (word play) and artwork viscerally recount a childhood damaged by sexual abuse and cptsd, revealing a story of resiliency and the intricate process of healing after trauma.

We have printed a limited edition of Samantha's 88 page, full-colour work, and are selling it 'at cost' for $50 plus $7 shipping. To order your copy, please write directly to KATI at admin@kutenaiarttherapy.com. Your support of Essenze will encourage us to do more!