Meet Jillian Bagan, Joan Campbell Award Recipient

Launched in 2021, the Joan Campbell Award honors the impact of BCACC Past President Joan Campbell and her immense contributions to the Association and counselling profession as a whole.

Covering BCACC application and membership fees, criminal record check, and insurance for the first year of membership, the award will facilitate enhanced access to the counselling profession from under-served communities and support eligible candidates experiencing financial hardship who would otherwise not be able to join the profession.

Meet 2022 Joan Campbell Award recipient, Jillian Bagan.

I am passionate about providing Art Therapy and counselling services for the LGBTS2IQ+ community. As someone that identifies as Queer, I recognize the value of having a safe space to talk about queer issues and its impact on mental health. 

I completed my master’s in art therapy at the Concordia University and using art-making and creativity is still a central part of my practice. I was drawn to Art Therapy originally because of my inherent understanding that art heals. The process of art-making tends to let go of defenses and barriers so that thoughts, feelings, and needs can be expressed. Using the image as the point of entry, Art Therapy helps integrate a cognitive awareness of a client’s self-expression. Through this approach important themes tend to surface and can help to create more understanding around the issues that are impacting the client’s life. 

In January 2018, Kristina Parker and I co-founded Queer CATs, a group of creative art therapists who identify as queer, gender diverse, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, intersex, two-spirit, asexual or questioning who live in Montreal and attend Concordia University. The group continues to organize and host events in Montreal to hold space to share issues or concerns for queer folks in the Creative Art Therapies and also creates social supports, with an aim to promote community-building, queer visibility and to advocate for change towards greater inclusivity in the field.

I went on to co-present at the 39th Annual Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA) Conference and in 2019 at the Ontario Art Therapy Association (OATA) Conference to further discussion and develop cultural humility working with LGBT2SIQ+ clients and colleagues as creative arts therapists. With discussion on LGBT2SIQ+ terminology, the importance of linguistic sensitivity, and impacts of minority stress on this population. 

Being part of a queer-led support group helped me to build confidence in handling homophobia and other forms of harassment as well as continuing to provide feedback to clinics and organizations on how to be more inclusive.  

Today, I am determined to continue my advocacy work through various projects and opportunities. I personally think there is a need for more culturally competent mental healthcare and prevention services that are specific to the LGBT2SIQ+ population of British Columbia. My hope is that more opportunities are generated to connect this community to culturally competent mental healthcare providers. My current aspiration is to create a Queer Counselling Network in the lower mainland of British Columbia, which can be structured similarly to the one that I started in Montreal.  

Jillian Bagan is currently in private practice contracting clients through different organizations while building her own online therapy clinic, Jillian Bagan Art Therapy. Find her at www.jillianbaganarttherapy.com.

Contribute to the Award

We graciously welcome both individual and corporate donations. Donate now. Please note: Donor(s) will not be issued tax receipts as the BCACC is not a charity, however virtual receipts will be issued to acknowledge the donation(s).

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