I am a facilitator for the Improv for Interaction class and for the DCA Voice-Over class. My background is in acting for theater, voice-over, and a little bit of film. I love playing other people's characters as well as both taking part and leading character creation. I have worked as a theater teaching artist in California, Portland, and New York. I love the power of storytelling and play as a way to understand one's own internal landscape, and the world around, and to have fun. I recently graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies' Drama Therapy Program and am currently working as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (Drama Therapist in training). 

Hi, I’m Amelie! I work with the Visibility Studio at DCA, working on projects that help to visually communicate. I am also a teacher's assistant for Yoga Together with Sarah! For me, different art forms have given me a way to express myself. When it’s hard to communicate my emotions in everyday life, engaging with a creative process has been a tool that has allowed me to understand myself better. I am currently in college as a film major. My dream is to one day work in the film industry both in front of the camera and behind the camera. With film, I have created some videos for my school and for DCA.

I am a Board Member at DCA. I have been dedicated to the nonprofit sector for most of my career and am passionate about contributing in a thoughtful and impactful way. I have a Masters of Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco, where I wrote my capstone project on capacity building in the nonprofit sector. I am a Senior Advisor at Capacity Blueprint, have a Certificate of Financial Success for Nonprofits from Cornell University and a  certificate in Nonprofit Board Consulting from Boardsource. I have been a grant writer for 13 years, and have consulted numerous organizations to help secure nearly $60 million for vital programs and services through numerous counties.

I am a Board Member at DCA. One of the qualities I enjoy bringing forth at DCA and my other roles is being a very optimistic person. For me, it’s not about ‘being cheerful’ or ‘it could always be worse’ - but instead fully viewing a situation, having compassion, and then approaching it from an optimistic standpoint. As a musician, I work in the arts because I believe that music has a spiritual and non-verbal ability to connect humans. I do believe that art exists for arts’ sake, and I also believe that art exists as a form of human expression and genuine connection.

Hi, I’m Emily! I am a working actor,  theater maker, and teaching assistant at DCA. As a kid I had a lot of big feelings and a lot of even bigger questions. Who are we? What are we? Why do we do the things we do? Theater seemed to be the only thing I could find that adequately allowed me to explore the answers to these questions, and to freely express all of the big feelings that came along with them. I received my BFA in acting from UC Santa Barbara and have been acting and making theater ever since. I am absolutely in love with the community that theater can build and the sense of empathy it cultivates. I am grateful for every day that I get to explore and play with my fellow artists.  

Faith Von Minden (they/them) is a creative arts facilitator and mental health worker based in unceded Ohlone land colonized as San Francisco. They are a longtime lover of exploring play, creativity, and interconnectedness. Faith is delighted to enter the Fall Leading the “Poetry! The Dance of Language” course after assisting this summer. Outside of DCA, Faith runs a Life Enrichment program at an Elder Care Facility and operates their small business, Soft Body, providing therapeutic expressive arts coaching, facilitation and consultation services specializing in support for 2SLGBTQIA+, Disabled, Neurodivergent and Fat populations. They are also the proud co-parent of an adorable and sassy Corgi named Einstein.

I am the Head of Offerings at DCA, with an MA, LMFT. I grew up wanting to be an actor and pursued a degree in theater for my undergraduate degree, but in my senior year I began creating solo theatrical pieces specifically targeted at telling my story and the healing that accompanies the experience of being witnessed. This solo work started me down the path of becoming a drama therapist and finding DCA. I am drawn to this work because of the innate power of theater and embodied expression to support healing and growth in people of all ages and of all abilities. Turning one's story or creations into a piece of art can be transformative for individuals and I am passionate about creating a space for people of all abilities to explore themselves and be seen.

Hi, I’m Hailey! I’m a teacher’s assistant at DCA. I’m a proud artist and have been since I was very little. All I ever wanted to do in life was make art in one way or the other. I have found that art is an amazing way to express yourself to your friends and family. I have seen it do just that for me many times. Art has always given me a comfortable place to be. It is my own space to relax to get something out, or just to explore and be creative. Being given the opportunity to assist in the DCA art class has been my greatest achievement. Not only do I get to do what I love but I get to share it with the amazing people in our classes. I have found great friendships and connections while in this position.

I am the co-founder and a Board Member at DCA. I believe that we are each as unique as each stroke of paint that touches a blank canvas. When my parents uprooted our family from El Salvador to California, in 1963, I found myself alone and disconnected from the world around me, until I discovered brushes and paint. Since those early years, art has been a sanctuary, a connection to myself and others and a doorway into healing. Over the years, painting, drawing and other creative outlets have allowed me to dive deeper into my internal world allowing me to create heartfelt connections with a global community of artists and friends. Art has also served me as a wondrous personal refuge. Parenting my son, Aaron, a very soulful young man with autism, has been a joy as we connect in non-verbal language and self expression. Each moment with him is rich with creative energy and shared expression.

I am Juan Carlos and I’ve been drawing and painting before I could talk or walk. My world is in my sketchbook and my paintings. Over the years I’ve come to realize that it’s my therapy. In many ways art has saved my life countless times. Art gives me a voice and allows me to express myself in the way I know how, and that is through being creative on paper and canvas. I want to share what I have learned with people who have been on similar paths and give them a sense of meaning through creation and expression. I believe you can be any age and at any stage in your life to create and find joy. I have a BFA in Animation from the Academy of Art University and I taught at AAU for ten years on various subjects including figure drawing, character design, and painting for film. I want to give kids and adults the opportunities that I would have loved to have had to be the best artist that they can be.  

I‘m from a family with disabilities. I advocate for art and disabilities. Creativity changes people’s hearts and minds and flexibility for problem solving. Art instills forward motion. Doing what I love gives me so much joy. Joy is contagious! I love working on art with others. We all have abilities to demonstrate and share feelings of joy for what we do. I like to help people pass that vibe along to others. Being part of a creative group has a real impact on personal growth and looks for ways to reach out and express who they are and find friends along the way. 

I am the co-founder and a Board Member at DCA. I am a multimedia artist based in the Pacific Northwest. I have been facilitating art workshops for over 25 years and I love to empower artists of all ages to find their own artistic voice. I believe that through creativity of all sorts we are able to witness each other's unique gifts and what common insights we share. I am a passionate international traveler, and have spent much of my life on one journey or another. My greatest teachers are my 3 children.

I am a Board Member at DCA and the CSO at tab32, a healthcare technology company. I'm a strategic thinker. I truly believe that creativity is paramount to human innovation, without it we lose our ability to dream. However we cannot work in a vacuum. People are their best selves when expressed and fully accepted by their community. The arts are a great equalizer in that way.

Sarah Fletcher, RYTE300 Therapeutic Yoga Instructor, BA Psychology from University of Puget Sound. Originally from Seattle, Sarah enjoys teaching yoga, singing, hiking and helping people with different abilities and talents. Sarah enjoys creating a community, interactive experience that allows for both physical and mental health, body awareness, care and concern for others, and self-esteem building through creative yoga sessions.