Hi, I’m Bri!

A headshot of Bri Beck, a white woman in her early 30s with long wavy brown hair and blue eyes. She is wearing a black top and glasses. Behind her is a gradient background with light orange turning to aqua blue.

I am a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and registered art therapist (ATR) practicing in Chicago, IL. My goal as a therapist is to be a collaborator versus an all-knowing expert. My clients are the experts of their own lives and it is my role to create a safe container for them to process their lived experiences.

I have experience working with a wide range of client concerns such as emotional dysregulation, anxiety/depression, relationship issues, identity development, life transitions, trauma, and body image/self-esteem. I have specific clinical interests and specialization in disability issues and enjoy using my own lived experiences of disability to inform my work as a therapist, artist, and advocate. I've had the privilege to work in various settings such as community mental health, social advocacy organizations, residential substance use, hospitals, and educational settings.

I also strongly believe that mental health is not just a personal matter, but is influenced by our intersecting identities and how they either grant us privilege or lead us to experience oppression in society. I am transparent about my own intersecting identities and will be authentic with you about how they may operate in the therapeutic relationship.

In my personal life, you can find me spending quality time with my husband and dog, scooting around the Chicago lakefront, thrifting, listening to podcasts, and making art (which you can check out more of below!).

Education:

Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling (MAATC)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2019

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Ball State University, 2013

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Illinois): 180.014422
Registered Art Therapist: BECK-4OKGZY

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Publications & Appearances:

Podcasts/Video Interviews:

SPORK!
“Stories from our Community:
Mental Health Support with Bri Beck”

“Conversations with a Wounded Healer”
with Sarah Buino, LCSW, CADC:
Bri Beck – Dismantling Ableism, Advocating for Disability Pride

“Crip Crap the Podcast”
Disability, Art, Therapy, and Community with Bri Beck


"What’s Up, WID?”
Mental Health in the Disability Community

Artwork Samples

Art has always been my central mode of self-expression and a lens through which I interpret my lived experiences. I firmly believe in the interconnectedness of art and activism. I count myself fortunate to be an active participant in the Chicago Disability Arts and Culture Community, where I regularly engage in events and gatherings.

Alt text provided on each image for accessibility.

A pen and watercolor mixed media drawing depicting a man's body dressed in a green toga and holding grapes. His head is not shown, but is instead covered by a scattered series of geometric designs.
A pen and watercolor mixed media drawing depicting a greenish concrete sculpture of a nude woman's body. Her head is not shown, but is instead covered by a scattered series of wave designs.
A geometric digital collage depicting a solid aqua border and layered images of blue hydrangeas and a black and white hand holding a circle and triangle.
A mixed media wall art piece featuring upholstered blue fabric, a magenta vinyl circle, and yellow pom poms in the middle. The artwork resembles a target design.
A mixed media drawing showing an arm chair with legs coming out, but with no upper body visible. A black and white photo of a woman's head floats above the chair with angel wings. Text above head reads "She's Not There."
A mixed media collage piece showing a nude woman's body from the neck to the knees. Painted on her body is an abstracted rib cage with a hot pink anatomical heart. Various paper designs and dripping black paint are in the background.
A mixed media portrait on wood panel depicting a side profile of a young white woman. Her eyes are blurred out with blue paint and paper circles. The background is purple and has letter and numbers covering it with black charcoal.
A side by side photo collage with the left side showing a small chair made out of PVC pipe and brown and aqua woven fabric. A schematic of the chair design sits above it. Bri, a woman of short stature, sits in the chair in the right side image.
A photo of a white gallery room with text on 3 walls. A yellow wall reads "you are so," a pink wall reads "positive," and the 3rd has a distorted projected image.
In a white galley with paintings on the wall, a tall inflatable sculpture stands made of pvc pipe and hot pink fabric.
A photograph of an aqua inner tube sits on top of silk aqua fabric that resembles pool water. The design in the fabric depicts a pair of legs floating.