Darcie Davis-Gage, PH.D, LMHC
President

Darcie Davis-Gage is a licensed mental health counselor in Iowa and a counselor educator at the University of Northern Iowa. Dr. Davis-Gage has over 20 years experience as a counselor, clinical supervisor, and counselor educator. She graduated from the Northwest Creative and Expressive Art Institute as an Expressive Art Therapist.

Dr. Davis-Gage actively collaborates in numerous interdisciplinary research and service endeavors and frequently publishes and presents nationally and internationally on expressive art therapy, wellness and self-care, and trauma informed design.

She is a member of the International Expressive Art Therapy Association and the Association of Creativity in Counseling. She currently provides expressive art counseling and wellness services in the community.She integrates expressive art into clinical supervision and consultation services at Hero Haven. This non-for-profit serves first responders and firefighters experiencing compassion fatigue and occupational stress. She is also training in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART-Basic) which is an evidenced based eye movement treatment for trauma and other mental health issues.

She also enjoys an active art practice in dance, movement, drama, and mixed media.

Kriya Kaping, BA, ma
member at large

Kriya Kaping is a multimedia creative director and educator with over 15 years of experience supporting organizations and individuals in creating and sharing personal narratives that foster community involvement and interpersonal connection. She has worked with federal, state and local agencies to promote programs centered on civic awareness, cross-cultural competency, and scientific discovery.

Kriya has worked regionally and internationally creating trainings and adult education initiatives, webinars, workshops, panels, and roundtables. Kriya is a seasoned storyteller and facilitator who has collaborated on a number of workshops and courses with Bobbi Kidder for the NW Creative & Expressive Arts Institute and Antioch University in Seattle, WA.

Kriya has performed her personal narrative stories for the stage with Portland Storytellers’ Guild, Portland Story Theater, Speakeasy DC, and Living Stages.

Kriya is a workshop facilitator for NWCEAI.

Debbi Odell | LMFT, EXAT
Member at Large

Debbi Odell offers a blend of somatic work, parts work, expressive arts therapy and EMDR to individuals, couples and groups in clinical practice. Debbi’s therapy work currently focuses on adolescents, adults and couples dealing with relationship issues, trauma and dissociation, identity, attachment, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.  Debbi created and facilitated expressive arts therapy groups on multiple topics, including grief, bisexual identity, and resilience, and currently co-facilitates an expressive arts group for alumni and fellow creative therapists. She received a Master’s in Clinical Psychology with Somatic Concentration from Antioch University Santa Barbara and an Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate from Northwest Creative & Expressive Arts Institute (NWCEAI). Additional training and experience include EMDR Level I (Scaling Up EMDR) and Social Emotional Arts Certificate (Arts & Healing Initiative). Based in Central California, she offers therapy and creative experiences throughout California via Zoom.

Karla Mancero, Ma, LMFT
Member at large

Karla Mancero is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Masters of Arts in Couples and Family therapy from Antioch University Seattle. She also earned her Professional Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy at NWCEAI in 2019-2020.

Karla has a private practice in Seattle serving children, adolescents, and families with a special focus on social and separation anxiety, depression, relational issues, and sensory integration needs in neurodivergent children.

Karla thrives when she is being creative with clients and for her own mental health. Above all though her first love in the expressive arts is poetry. Karla has many interests in the arts and continues to learn and play with hand drumming, dancing, paint pouring, improv, and writing.

Shawn Pham, BS, MSW
member at large

Shawn is a multimedia visual artist with a focus on digital art and ceramics. He is a NWCEAI alum, and graduated with his Bachelor of Social Work at George Mason University and Advanced Standing Master of Social Work at University of Washington.
His experience ranges from being a College and Career Readiness Social Worker at Arlington Housing Corporation, where he worked with first and second-gen students of color to being a Behavioral Health Counselor at Asian Counseling and Referral Services.
Shawn was also the former West Coast Alumni & Family Liaison at Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center where he hosted, organized, and collaborated with nonprofits and mental health advocates and leaders to create national events about mental health and eating disorders.
Currently, Shawn resides back home in the D.C. metropolitan area as ERC Pathlight’s East Coast Alumni & Family Liaison and as a private practice therapist. He takes pride in working with immigrant communities of color and incorporating the expressive arts therapies as an integral part of their healing.