PHOTO COURTESY OF UNION PROJECT

Art therapist Sonya Dugal says that through using clay with her clients, she’s seen magic happen.

“I’ve seen real moments of release and moments of transformation when clients are able to use art to process their trauma and life’s story; when the creation of metaphors and use of symbolism become a safe way to communicate,” said Dugal, a licensed professional counselor, in a statement.

Dugal, who serves on the board of directors at Union Project in Highland Park, has set up a private practice inside the nonprofit to use art to help her clients with their mental wellness.

“I feel lucky to have found myself in a space like Union Project where it is understood that art has the power to heal and bring communities together,” she says. “While I am by no means a seasoned clay artist, I can understand and see how clay can benefit everyone — even if it’s just to get dirty. Or play.”

Union Project became a nonprofit in 2002 and has made its mission to serve communities through art.

“What I love the most about Union Project is the consistent effort and mission to make this accessible for everyone,” Dugal says. “I appreciate how much Union Project recognizes the value and healing power of the arts and has made it their mission to create and maintain an organization where the central focus is bringing clay to the people.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNION PROJECT

Dugal served in the Peace Corps in Ghana before arriving in Pittsburgh to earn a master of art in art therapy degree with a specialization in counseling through a Peace Corps Fellowship at Seton Hill University. 

Clay is an ideal vessel for clients who want to work through trauma, as they can literally dig into the material and carve out things they may have held on to.

“It’s a visual and tactile way to transform a material into an object to possibly hold all that we carry in the inside on the outside,” Dugal says. 

For more information, visit unionproject.org or call 412-363-4550.