Our Team
Our Dedicated Guides to Healing
Empathetic Expertise, Nurturing Support
Dr. Eleanor Vance, Clinical Director and Lead Art Therapist
Dr. Eleanor Vance holds a Doctorate in Expressive Arts Therapy and is a Board-Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) with over fifteen years of clinical experience specializing in trauma-informed care and mindfulness-based practice. Her extensive academic background is complemented by a deeply intuitive and gentle approach, using visual art creation and somatic awareness to help clients process difficult emotions and access innate wisdom that words often fail to reach. Eleanor’s philosophy centers on the transformative power of non-verbal dialogue, guiding individuals through creative processes to achieve profound emotional breakthroughs and nervous system regulation. Prior to co-founding CHAI, she ran successful expressive arts programs in both hospital and private practice settings, working with diverse populations, from adolescents managing anxiety to adults processing complex grief. She is deeply committed to ongoing professional development, continually integrating the latest findings in neuropsychology with ancient practices to ensure every session is grounded, impactful, and deeply caring.
Marcus Chen, Programs Coordinator and Lead Meditation Instructor
Marcus Chen is a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor and a highly experienced Hatha and Restorative Yoga teacher, holding certifications that reflect over a decade of dedicated personal practice and professional instruction. As Programs Coordinator, Marcus is responsible for designing the flow and scheduling of all our weekly offerings, ensuring a balanced and harmonious sequence of classes and workshops that meet the community’s diverse needs. His personal passion lies in demystifying meditation, making ancient wisdom practical and accessible to the modern individual, focusing heavily on breathwork and the cultivation of non-judgmental awareness as primary tools for stress management. Marcus’s teaching style is noted for its clarity, warmth, and gentle humor, creating an immediate sense of ease and welcome for newcomers while offering profound depth for those seeking to advance their spiritual discipline. He believes that true healing is found in the simple, continuous act of showing up for oneself.
Sofia Rodriguez, Community & Outreach Specialist and Sound Healing Practitioner
Sofia Rodriguez brings a unique blend of community organization expertise and certified therapeutic sound practice, making her the heart of CHAI’s engagement efforts and a powerful facilitator in our therapeutic sessions. Holding a Masters in Community Health, Sofia’s primary focus is bridging the gap between holistic wellness and public accessibility, actively cultivating partnerships with local organizations and ensuring our services reach all segments of the population regardless of socioeconomic status. As a certified sound healing practitioner, she expertly utilizes gongs, crystal bowls, and specialized tuning forks to guide profound acoustic experiences that are scientifically shown to downshift brainwave activity, promoting deep relaxation and somatic release. Her professional biography is marked by a passionate commitment to social justice and wellness equity, viewing healing arts as a vital resource that should be available to everyone in the pursuit of a harmonious life.
David Hayes, Integrative Wellness Counselor and Bodywork Specialist
David Hayes is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) specializing in integrative therapy, combining traditional talk therapy with body-centered modalities such as Polarity Therapy and Trauma-Sensitive Yoga to address the inextricable connection between mental distress and physical sensation. With a background that spans over a decade in mental health and somatic practices, David’s approach is uniquely holistic, helping clients understand how emotional history can become stored in the body and guiding them toward gentle, embodied release. He is deeply qualified, holding certifications in several bioenergetic and movement-based therapies, and his sessions are characterized by a deep reverence for the client’s internal wisdom and pace. David’s goal is to empower clients to move from merely understanding their challenges to physically and emotionally embodying their healing, fostering a felt sense of safety and coherence in their nervous system for sustainable well-being.
Community & Engagement
Building a Network of Shared Support and Collective Wellness
Family involvement is considered a cornerstone of lasting personal healing at CONNECTICUT HEALING ARTS INITIATIVE, as we recognize that the individual’s well-being is intrinsically linked to the harmony of their primary relationships and home environment. We regularly offer specialized workshops designed for family participation, such as “Mindful Parenting Through Art,” which teaches caregivers and children techniques for co-regulating their nervous systems and communicating emotions non-verbally and constructively through shared creative experiences. Our programs include educational seminars for parents on topics like managing childhood anxiety using holistic tools, and we actively encourage family members to attend introductory sessions to gain a foundational understanding of the practices their loved one is utilizing, fostering empathy and creating a supportive language for healing at home. This intentional cultivation of a healing-focused family environment ensures that the positive changes initiated at our center are understood, supported, and sustained within the individual’s core social structure for enduring, collective well-being.
Cultivate Your Career in Compassionate Care
Dedicated to Growth, Excellence, and Holistic Collaboration
CONNECTICUT HEALING ARTS INITIATIVE is actively seeking passionate, experienced, and highly credentialed individuals who are dedicated to the intersection of professional excellence and compassionate, holistic care to join our expanding team of integrative wellness practitioners. We offer compelling career opportunities for licensed professionals across a range of healing arts modalities, including but not limited to registered art therapists, certified yoga and meditation instructors, licensed clinical social workers with a focus on somatic work, and specialized sound healers. Successful candidates will possess advanced certifications in their respective fields, a minimum of five years of professional experience, and a proven track record of working effectively within an integrative or multidisciplinary team setting, demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning and ethical practice. We are looking for individuals whose personal commitment to self-care mirrors their professional dedication to client transformation, ensuring that our team models the balance and harmony that we strive to cultivate in our community.