Sarah Arriagada is an artist and art therapist. She holds a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy from the Berlin-Weissensee School of Art, Germany and a Master’s Degree in Fine Art from the University of the Arts Berlin. She is also a Birth Art Mentor and recently completed her training to become a Birth Story Listener with midwife and childbirth mentor Pam England. In March 2019, she completed the Postpartum Support International certificate training “Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care” and the “Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy Training” in Champaign, Illinois.

She has been practicing Mindfulness Meditation in the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh since 2012 and received the Five Mindfulness Trainings by the Plum Village Community in 2015. Her Dharma name is Peaceful Reconciliation of the Heart. Sarah incorporates her skills and experience into her work with individuals and groups by focusing on present-moment awareness, compassion and insight.

Sarah has worked for many years in different mental health and educational settings in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States with people of varied backgrounds and ways of life. Via the arts, she strives to create connections and to encourage self-discovery and expression to enable transformation, healing and wellbeing. Being a mother herself, she is passionate about helping and supporting women during the delicate yet powerful transition that takes place in pregnancy, birth and motherhood.

She founded Mother’s Well, An Art Space for Perinatal Wellbeing in Columbia, MO in the summer of 2018. Sarah welcomes and encourages women of any race, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability to attend her sessions. Previous experience with making art are not necessary! She offers a set rate with some flexibility based on the client’s income. Please contact her if you have any questions.

Testimonials

“I am forever grateful for participating in birth art sessions with Sarah while I was pregnant with my son. I don’t consider myself particularly artistic or creative but quickly realized that it didn’t matter. The sessions were fun and enlightening – exactly what I needed to explore my thoughts/feelings on becoming a mother without boundaries or expectations. In discussing my art I was surprised to learn several new things about myself. I know I will continue to reflect on the experience for years to come, as I continue my motherhood journey.” Lindsay M.

“I really did enjoy the session. I left feeling emotionally lighter than when I went in and have carried that with me. Thank you so much!” Lacey P.

“I do think it has done a lot to have the sessions with Sarah. Sarah is a wonderful listener and I felt witnessed in a powerful way through the process. I feel like my story is integrated in a new way and it has carried over into how I approach the day to day situations where I don’t feel seen or heard. It’s helped me to find my voice and speak up because the work we did together helped me to feel more aware that it is there.” Lydia T.

“Our session really did help me tremendously. I think for me, it was the point of our time together when I switched my thinking, which I had not done before. That instead of remembering and immersing myself in thought patterns of the fear, uncertainty, and lack of preparation for embarking on motherhood, I have adopted new ways of thinking about the experience. I have felt a lot of healing from transforming my language. By saying, “I brought this child into the world”, which is amazing and such an empowering moment for me. By embracing my role in the process and knowing that I did such a miraculous thing. This transition has completely switched my thoughts of regret or frustration with how the birth went to feeling more content and at peace with the reality of how it went. I think this new perspective on the birth has trickled into other areas of my life. I have a fresh look on being a mother and have been able to move past harmful or self deprecating thoughts about how I have been performing as a mom. I am doing the best I can with what I have in this moment of time. That is refreshing to say and to believe. I feel less guilty about taking care of myself when I need it. I think I have found that the conversation I have with myself has been less harsh and demanding. I have been gentler and more reasonable with my thoughts lately. I have talked about my birth story many, many times, but never in the way I did with you, with a goal and purpose in mind. It really did provide relief in a way that I was not expecting at all. So, thank you so much. I know it will be such a healing and profound experience for other moms that work with you.” Angela S.