Biography

Vera Heller is a psychotherapist, art therapist, art therapy professor, and visual artist. She holds a doctorate in expressive therapies from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, United States. Her academic training also includes a master's degree in art therapy (Concordia University, Montreal), a bachelor's degree in social work (Laval University, Quebec), and another in fine arts (Concordia University, Montreal).

For more than 25 years, Vera has been developing her psychotherapeutic practice and her artistic approach in parallel. These two dimensions of her work complement each other and are reflected in her teaching at the School of Art Therapy of the Université du Québec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT). Her work experience also includes psychosocial intervention in CLSCs and the parapublic sector, as well as counselling as part of employee assistance programs (EAPs).

Over the years, Vera Heller has offered training workshops to mental health professionals in Quebec, Mexico, Brazil, and Cuba, and has taught courses in Israel, Japan, and Thailand. She currently teaches in Bangkok, at the International Program of Art Therapy in Thailand (IPATT). Her research, artistic projects, and psychotherapy practice are inspired by her multidisciplinary background and her openness to difference.