Experiential continuing education for clinicians

Renewing the way clinicians think.

Live, experiential trainings that move you from following methods to creating them, rooted in sound philosophy, ethics, and cultural humility.

Live online, join from anywhere
For counselors, MFTs, and counselors in training
No art experience needed

A green sprout growing from the center of a tree stump's rings

7live CE hours per Expressive Arts Training level

5hours of cultural diversity content across EAT Levels 1 and 2

6.5/7average rating from 88 attendee evaluations

100%live and interactive, never pre-recorded

Our five pillars

Who we are, and the path every training follows

Like rings in a tree, each pillar builds on the one before it. Every Innovare training moves through all five, whatever the topic.

01
Engaging
Person first
Every activity meets you as a person before asking you to use it with a client. Self-of-the-counselor work comes first.
02
Experiencing
Live it, don't watch it
You learn by doing, contributing, and co-creating. Learning is embodied and multidimensional, never passive.
03
Exploring
Stay curious
Flexibility and curiosity open possibilities across any population, setting, or topic.
04
Creating
Make your own
You leave able to innovate in the moment with confidence, competence, and a clear philosophical rationale.
05
Renewing
Make new
You grow personally and professionally, making new both yourself and your work. That is what innovare means.

Registration open

Expressive Arts Training 2027

Our signature two-level series with Dr. Crystal Brashear and Dr. Nancy Thomas. 14 live CE hours across two Fridays, including 5 hours of cultural diversity content.

Level 1 · 7 CE hours

Expressive Arts Training, Level 1

Learn what expressive arts therapy is, why it works, and how to begin using it with clients of any age or culture. Includes the neuroscience behind creative work, multicultural applications, live demonstrations, and paired practice with interventions such as the inner critic and the cultural mind map.

Date: Friday, Feb 5, 2027
Time: 9 AM to 5 PM Central
10 to 6 Eastern · 8 to 4 Mountain · 7 to 3 Pacific
Format: Live online via Zoom, from anywhere
Prerequisite: None. No art experience needed.

$150 per person Register for Level 1

Level 2 · 7 CE hours

Expressive Arts Training, Level 2

Build on Level 1 with projective assessments (including animal projection cards), drawing interpretation, sandtray practice, and writing creative interventions into treatment plans with measurable goals. Includes a live demonstration and collaborative case practice.

Date: Friday, Apr 2, 2027
Time: 9 AM to 5 PM Central
10 to 6 Eastern · 8 to 4 Mountain · 7 to 3 Pacific
Format: Live online via Zoom, from anywhere
Prerequisite: Completion of Level 1 (any past cohort counts).

$150 per person Register for Level 2

Why Innovare

Most CE asks you to sit and listen. Ours asks you to take part.

More than one method

Expressive arts, play, sandtray, movement, ecotherapy, and more. Every method comes with a clear why, so you can adapt it to any client or setting.

Safe to stretch

Clear ethical boundaries, attention to scope, a trauma-informed design with choice built in, and cultural humility throughout. That safety is what makes it possible to try something new.

Hard-to-find topics

South Asian and collectivist families, religious and spiritual diversity, crisis competency, creative supervision, and more, each drawn from our founders' own research and publications.

Attendee feedback

What counselors say after a day with us

6.5 / 7average rating across 88 attendee evaluations, 2024 to 2026. 72% gave the top score.

This training elevated my counseling skill set, particularly when feeling stuck with a client. The training is versatile for clients of different ages, cultures, and genders. Highly recommend!

Kathryn P. · EAT Level 1

They don't teach this stuff in grad school. Great training for established clinicians looking to expand their toolkit with creative interventions that go way beyond paint and canvas.

Julie K. · EAT Level 1

The practical training combined with the creativity and compassion of Dr. Brashear and Dr. Thomas gave me insight into how to work with clients. I feel better equipped to integrate this kind of work into session.

Erica S. · EAT Level 2

I started using EAT with clients after Level 1 training and really cannot imagine my work without it. I can't draw well and would not be categorized as an artist. It's wonderful that for EAT to be powerful and effective, I don't have to be and neither do my clients.

Jennifer O. · EAT Level 3

Do not think twice about whether or not you should do this training! You should.

Margi W. · EAT Level 1

This training is practical for real-life counseling. It is a hands-on approach to counseling making the theoretical come to life.

Fee R. · EAT Level 2

Learning about Expressive Arts Therapy I found that it's so much more. I especially love how it can be used in multicultural therapy.

Jackie C. · EAT Level 1

This is a fantastic training! The format kept me fully engaged and focused; the lectures, activities, and role-play definitely increased my competence as a counselor.

Christina A. · EAT Level 2

This training provides the tools and the opportunity for therapists to deeply engage with and empower their clients to grow and heal at their pace without fear.

Bethany S. · EAT Level 2

These courses brilliantly partner theoretical frameworks with hands-on learning that can be applied immediately!

J. Said · EAT Level 3

This course is a practical guide to building flexibility in the counseling session when verbal talk therapy is struggling or stuck.

Attendee · EAT Level 1

Your trainers

Two counselor educators who teach the way they practice

Dr. Crystal Brashear

Counselor educator, EMDR Certified, and Certified Humanistic Sandtray Therapist. ACES Counseling Vision and Innovation Award, 2021.

Dr. Nancy Thomas, PhD

Counseling program director, trauma clinician, and researcher in multicultural counseling. AHC Humanistic and Social Justice Award, 2021.

Questions

Common questions

Who are Innovare trainings for?

Licensed counselors (LPC, LMHC, LCPC, and similar titles), marriage and family therapists, substance use counselors, school counselors, and counselors in training, at every stage of their career and in any state.

Will the hours count toward my license renewal?

Each licensing board sets its own CE rules, so check with yours before registering. You'll receive a certificate listing your hours, the date, the presenters, and the content areas covered, such as ethics or cultural diversity.

Is it only expressive arts?

No. Expressive arts is one tool among many, alongside play, sandtray, movement, ecotherapy, and more. What matters is flexibility: learning to create the right intervention for the person in front of you, with a clear reason for using it.

Do I need to be artistic?

No. Many attendees tell us they can't draw. The work is about process, not artistic skill, for you and for your clients.

Are the trainings live or recorded?

Live. Every training happens in real time on Zoom or in person, so you can practice, contribute, and ask questions. Join from anywhere.

How many CE hours is each Expressive Arts Training level?

Each level is 7 live CE hours. Levels 1 and 2 together include 5 hours of cultural diversity content.

Can I take Level 2 if I took Level 1 in a past year?

Yes. Level 1 from any past cohort with Dr. Brashear and Dr. Thomas meets the Level 2 prerequisite.

Can Innovare bring a training to our agency, school, or conference?

Yes. Choose from our catalog or tell us what your team needs, and we'll build a live training around it, online or in person. Faith-integrated versions are available on request.

Training a team, agency, school, or conference?

Pick a topic from our catalog or tell us what you need. We'll build it live and experiential.

Request a training