Francisca Lizana, MA LMFT
Bilingual Psychotherapist | Expressive Arts Therapy | Consultant | Trainer | Facilitator
I am originally from Chile and have been living in the northern hemisphere since 1999. I am fully bilingual (Eng/Span). With a Fine Arts Bachelor (Chile) and an MA in Design & Media Arts (England). I started training in the therapeutic use of the arts at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE) in London in 2001.
Since moving to California in 2004 I have worked clinically in diverse community settings (schools, agencies, and recovery) with children, adolescents, and adults in individual, group and family formats. Between 2003 and 2013 I held positions in the addiction recovery field in London, San Francisco & Santiago.
Starting 2010 I actively presented clinical work, methods and lead workshops in various national and international congresses and professional meetings, including as keynote speaker at Universidad de Guadalajara's Clinical Psychology summer congress in 2013.
Whilst back in Chile (2010-2012), my experience entailed working with refugees and migrants through Universidad Alberto Hurtado's PRISMA program, facilitating expressive arts therapy groups for adult addiction treatment at Centroneveria, Teaching at post bachelor's Art Therapy program at Universidad de Chile and private practice for children and adults.
2013 saw me collaborating with Harambee Arts and Shakti Samuha supporting women survivors of sex trafficking and training READ Nepal's community women leaders in Kathmandu, Nepal.
In the Bay Area, I've worked as a bilingual school-based counselor in several public schools including 4 years as the Social-Emotional Specialist at private International Baccalaureate Escuela Bilingue Internacional (2014-2018). I ran a 2 year long monthly expressive arts group at the Women's Cancer Resource Center in Berkeley, performed psychosocial immigration evaluations as well as provided treatment for victims of Crime, through the California Victim's Compensation Program (CalVCP).
Currently, I am the clinical director and lead facilitator at OLAS LGBT Sanctuary Project supporting Latino immigrants seeking asylum in the Bay Area, teach as adjunct faculty at CIIS's Expressive Arts Program and run my private practice Blooming Hearts Therapy for adults and children.
Education & Training
Bilingual Marriage and Family Psychotherapist LMFT 103989
MA Clinical Psychology, Expressive Arts Therapy
California Institute of Integral Studies San Francisco CA 2010
Certificate in the Therapeutic and Educational Applications of the Arts
Certificate in Emotional Literacy for Children
Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE) London UK 2002 - 2004
IFSEL's Four day intensive Institute
Summer Institute For Social Emotional Learning, Nueva School, Hillsborough, 2018
Leadership Development Program
King's Fund, London 2004
Certificate in Counseling Primary School Children Using the Arts
London Open College Network, The Place2Be, London UK 2003
MA Design & Media Arts
University of Westminster, London UK 2000
Bachelor in Fine Arts, major in printmaking
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 1996
My Story
TEAM-CBT training - Level 1
Feeling Good Institute, 2020-2021
Professional Exchange
Keynote speaker at Psychology Congress, University of Guadalajara
Facilitating the Tree of Life at Art Therapy congress, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Presentation at the first Art Therapy congress in Girona, Spain
Professional meetings, conferences and training sessions provide a great opportunity to share relevant clinical applications, methodologies and findings. They are also an exciting platform to connect to fellow professionals.
I started sharing my work in 2010 at the first Art Therapy Congress in Spain. Since then I have consistently presented at various international and national conferences, seminars and congresses in a variety of countries including Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Spain and the US. I present both in Spanish and English.
Presentations and Workshops
August 2020, 2021
Adjunct Faculty at California Institute of Integral Studies, School of Professional Psychology and Health, Expressive Arts Program, San Francisco, CA.
May 2020
Online forum presenter for The Fountain Project:
Strategies to Support the Emotional Health of Kids and their Caregivers During the Coronavirus Pandemic.
March 2018
Trainer at Seeds of Aawareness Inc. Community agency, Oakland, CA
July 2015
Workshop facilitator at counseling program course, Chabot College, Hayward, CA
Feb 2015
Workshop facilitator for foster parents, City of San Francisco. San Francisco, CA
Dec 2014
Speaker at Teleton for the Art Therapy program's annual seminar, Santiago Chile.
July 2013
Keynote speaker and workshop presenter at 10th Interdisciplinary Congress, Summer School of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, University of Guadalajara, Lagos de Moreno, Mexico
March 2013
Co-facilitated a workshop at 10th Biennial International Conference Expressive Arts in the Winds of Change, Berkeley CA
Sept 2012
Presented at VII Ibero-American Congress of Clinical and Health Psychology, Cordoba Argentina
August 2012
Presented at 11th Congreso Chileno de Psicoterapia (Chilean Psychotherapy Congress), Reñaca Chile
August 2011
Co-lead presentation and workshop at 9th Biennial International IEATA Conference, International Expressive Arts Therapy Organization, Lima Peru
July 2011
Co-presented at 10th International Narrative Therapy and Community Work Conference, Salvador, Brazil
Nov 2010
Co-lead presentation at Expressive Therapies Summit: Time Square, New York, USA
October 2010
Presented and led a workshop at IX Congresso Brasileiro de Arteterapia. 9th Brazilian Art Therapy Congress. Art Therapy in the 21st century: Diversity and professionalism, Sao Paulo, Brazil
March 2010
Presented lecture and poster at 1er Congreso Nacional de Arte Terapia FEAPA, Girona, Spain
Affiliations
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Registered IEATA (International Expressive Arts Therapy Association), USA
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Member of CAMFT (California Association of Marriage & Family Therapy), USA
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Member of East Bay CAMFT, USA
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Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), Marriage and Family therapist registered intern (MFTi), California
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Member of IATO (International Art Therapy Organization), USA
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Member of ACAT (Chilean Association of Art Therapists)
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Millennium Awards Fellowship, Millennium Commission, King’s Fund, London UK