About me

I'm Deb McManus, artist and human.

I have been working as a licensed therapist since 1997 with children and their families in residential, day treatment, public schools and in private practice.

I have always been in awe of the healing power of both sand tray therapy and expressive arts. I have never had any formal art training but after 20+ years of providing therapy and after 2020, I found myself in a dark place.

I started doing fluid art and painting as a way to heal and find my way back from the darkness to the light, and from isolation back to connection.

In summer of 2023, I began experimenting with resin and making figures to use in the sand tray. This has lead me to a community of artists that have ignited a creative passion that is hard to contain.

I make all my art in my garage turned studio here at my house in Lafayette, CA. I can hear my goats and mini donkeys outside and my dogs lay around in the sun while I work.

I love what I do and have found balance in being an artist and also being able to be fully present for my therapy clients working part time.

My formal nonsense is as follows:
LCSW, RPT-S, Animal Assisted Play Therapist (R), EMDR Certified, EMDR SandTray Trained, Parent/ Child EMDR Specialist, and Adlerian influenced.