Most people probably think of therapy as a patient unloading their most intimate secrets to a psychologist or psychiatrist while on a couch in a therapeutic setting. Longtime Mt. Airy resident Sondra Rosenberg, who will teach classes for Mt. Airy Learning Tree (MALT) on May 3 and 10 on the painting of pets, takes a totally different approach.

“I was always interested in art,” she said in an interview, ”but I did not know that art therapy was even a profession until I went to college. We are all dealing with our own struggles. When I learned about art therapy, I thought it would be a good way to use art to help people. It's a nonhierarchical approach, actually a combination of art and psychology.”

Rosenberg has lived in Mt. Airy for 16 years, but grew up on the Main Line and graduated from Friends Central School. She studied visual art at Oberlin College and earned her M.A. in art therapy at New York University. 

After her schooling, Rosenberg worked as an art therapist from 2005 to 2020 at the Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders in Roxborough, the first residential center in the country for the treatment of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and other body image problems, founded 40 years ago.

“I still do workshops there,” said Rosenberg. “I found most patients really do benefit from expressing themselves through creativity. It's a safe space to express themselves. The art therapy degree is a combination of art, developmental psychology and abnormal psychology. I'm not a psychologist, but I did have psychology courses as an integral part of becoming an art therapist. I worked with thousands of people at Renfrew. The art helps them to feel free to express themselves and explore issues in a way that feels safe.”

When the pandemic hit, the center switched to virtual group therapy for two years. Since Rosenberg had more time at home, she returned to writing a book about art therapy and eating disorders she began in 2017. “I gained so much knowledge about the subject and want to give back,” she said. “I so much want to get this into people's hands.”

Rosenberg finished the book in 2022 and contacted literary agents. She was turned down by more than 100 before finally being accepted after a two-year slog by an agent in Vancouver, who is now “shopping” the book to traditional publishing houses. (It is almost impossible for a previously unpublished author to sign on with an established literary agent or publisher.) 

During the pandemic, Rosenberg's father asked her to paint a watercolor portrait of his house. “I enjoyed doing that,” she said, “so I put a notice on the Mt. Airy Nextdoor website offering free house portraits (as proof of concept). I got many replies, and did three. Then I started charging, and I got customers from Instagram and Facebook, especially during the holiday time. 

“Then someone asked me to do a pet portrait, and I just love doing them. People want them to memorialize the pets. I bring my therapist background to them. I love meeting with the people and hearing their stories because I love animals. Someone even ordered a painting of a beloved tree that had been cut down.”

According to Laura Grasch of East Mt. Airy, “Sondra painted the most beautiful painting of my uncle and aunt’s recently deceased cat. My uncle was so moved by its beauty and how much it resembled his baby that he cried. I’m proud to say that I have seen Sondra’s incredible art since she was a young adult, and her talent always amazes me.”

Rosenberg, who taught at Abington Art Center, also taught classes on art therapy at Jefferson University Medical School for 10 years. 

“I love working with the students there,” she said. “They are stressed out and overworked. The art therapy classes help them get in touch with their creative side and find some perspective.”

Rosenberg lives in Mt. Airy with her husband, Carl, who teaches instrumental music at Friends Central; and son, Nolan, 14, an eighth-grade student at Friends Central.   

“I love Mt. Airy,” said Rosenberg. “I love the values, the great people, beautiful trees, the co-op, and the houses.” 

Rosenberg, whose own work was exhibited at Artist & Craftsman in Chestnut Hill in January, will teach classes on how to paint pets for MALT on Saturday, May 3 and 10,  9:30 a.m. to noon, at the Unitarian Universalists of Mt. Airy, 6900 Stenton Ave.  

For more information, visit sondrarosenberg.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.