Sibel Golden | PhD, LMHC, REAT
Executive Director and Co-Founder | Director of EXA Professional Training Program
Dr. Sibel Golden is a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist with the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.
Sibel is a seasoned clinician and an experienced educator. She taught at City University in Seattle in their Masters in Counseling Program for one year before moving to Bastyr University, where she taught for 6 years in the Health Psychology Department. Sibel designed and taught courses such as Art as Spiritual Practice and the Psychology of Nourishment. She has presented numerous workshops on eating disorders, body image, and various aspects of creative arts therapy in the Puget Sound Area and New York.
In 2010, Sibel was the recipient of the Rollo May Scholarship at Saybrook University. She was a regular contributor to the academic blog ‘The New Existentialists’ for 2 years, before starting her own blog at sibelgoldenphd.com. Sibel’s dissertation was a qualitative study entitled, ‘Portraits of Courage in the Creative Process of Visual Artists’.
“My background in and love of the arts, as well as my fascination with the creative process, guide my work. I believe that art and the creative process provide expansive ways to look at life, sustain motivation, and unearth new sources of inspiration”.
B.A. in Studio Art from Bard College, Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy from Goddard College, Doctoral Degree in Psychology from Saybrook University.
Courtney Oliver | PhD, LMHC, SUDP
Assistant Director of Program Development
Courtney Oliver is a licensed mental health counselor and substance use disorder professional in Washington state.
Courtney has extensive experience in non-profit and private settings, working with diverse clientele since 2006. In 2020, she completed the Northwest Creative and Expressive Art Institute’s professional training and has since served as a mentor, facilitating workshops and teaching in the training program.
Outside of work, Courtney enjoys engaging in various art activities, hiking, completing jigsaw puzzles, and spending quality time with her family.
Jennifer Anderson | M.S., LMFT
excecutive administrator
Jennifer Anderson is Marriage & Family Therapist working at a group practice in Seattle providing telehealth to clients in Washington, Colorado, and Florida.
She supports NWCEAI as the part-time Executive Administrator assisting with overall operation & administration duties. Jennifer has a deep love & respect for the creative arts and its powerful intersection with healing.
Her ‘first career’ included working in a variety of administrator roles in higher education including program coordinator for WA State K-12 certification & endorsement programs, department budget coordinator, and senior coordinator of operations. She currently resides in northern Colorado.
Ana Galvéz | B.A., M.A. in progress
Social Media & Marketing Coordinator Intern
Emily Westlake | M.A.
Grant & funding opportunity coordinator
Emily Westlake is a painter, photographer, and abolition advocate from New York. She loves music, art, swimming in Lake Washington, hanging out in the backyard with her cat, and her friends and family more than anything.
She studied Activism and Photography for her undergraduate degree at NYU and a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Leadership from Seattle University. Emily has over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit field. She is passionate about anti-racism and ending mass incarceration. Emily is also currently the Director of Contracts and Evaluation for @ichoose180, where she has worked since 2018.