‘It’s about making sure people know they can share their story differently — that there’s more than one way to be heard’
Rooted is all about the people and the places that make us proud to call our community home.
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For North Bay psychotherapist Joëlle Myre, art isn’t just a hobby — it’s a language. At her practice, Envision Psychotherapy, Myre uses visual arts to help clients work through their mental health challenges in ways that words alone can’t always reach.
“I want to show people that it can be explored through different mediums. It’s not just your voice,” she says. “They can share their story in a different way.”
Her approach grew out of her own experience as a visual artist. Myre earned her undergraduate degree in fine arts with an early dream of becoming an art therapist. That goal took shape in her second year of university after taking a psychology course that “just clicked.” She began a deep dive into her own mental health, creating art that reflected her emotions and struggles, and realized she wanted to guide others through a similar process.
“I’ve always been doing art related to how I’m feeling, or exploring deep concepts I was struggling with,” Myre says. “Eventually, I wanted to teach people how to do that.”
Her path wasn’t straightforward. She initially pursued a master’s program in Vancouver, but family circumstances — and the illness of her grandfather — brought her back to Ontario. After taking time to regroup, she enrolled in Yorkville University’s Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new skills she gained have now merged with her long-standing love of the arts.
These days, Myre works with painting, drawing, and hopes to explore sculpture when she has more space. Within Envision Psychotherapy, Myre offers individual psychotherapy services where she helps her clients find their voices, through those various mediums. She’s also started a community art group to encourage creative expression beyond the therapy room.
“I’m a practicing artist. I paint and draw at home all the time,” she says. “I haven’t been in an art gallery since before COVID, but I’m getting back into that now, which has been really great.”
Before turning her focus to psychotherapy, Myre’s art was displayed in multiple galleries. She once had a personal goal of exhibiting at least once a year, but her priorities have shifted.
“It’s not so much rewarding about having other people see it,” she explains. “Now, it’s about making sure people know they can share their story differently — that there’s more than one way to be heard.”
Originally from the outskirts of Sudbury, Myre first came to North Bay for the Art Program at Nipissing University and decided to stay in the Gateway City. “I’m more of a small-town, country girl,” she says. “North Bay felt like home.”
Building a psychotherapy practice in a smaller community comes with both challenges and advantages. Myre’s bilingualism and local connections have helped her establish trust, even as she continues to grow her client base.
When clients come to see Joelle Myre, their starting point can vary widely. Some arrive with a favourite medium already in mind—pencil crayons, markers, or sketching—while others feel uncertain, hesitant to even explore. In those cases, she’ll guide them through different techniques, almost like an assessment of skills and preferences, before settling on an approach.
“It’s more free-flowing than people might think,” Myre explained. “I’m there to guide them, give them the tools, and then help them notice things in their work—like symbolism—that can lead to meaningful conversations.”
Her first sessions are never about “diving deep” right away. Instead, she focuses on making the space comfortable, starting with small icebreakers and letting clients get to know her and the studio. “You can’t just expect someone to walk in and throw all their emotions out there on day one,” she said. “It’s a slow build.”
While she works with a range of issues—grief, anxiety, depression, trauma—she’s found that not every client comes in during a crisis. Some simply want what she calls “maintenance.”
“That’s when someone comes in maybe once a month, just to talk,” Myre said. “They might not need to make big changes, but they value having that space—a place where someone is giving them 100% of their attention. I’m not a friend, I’m not a family member, I’m just there to listen and help them reflect. That’s pretty special.”
She admits that while the stigma around mental health still exists, the conversation is more open now than it used to be. “We live in such a fast-paced society, and people feel like they have to keep up,” she said. “Sometimes they burn out before they realize they need to slow down. I think more people are learning that you don’t have to wait until you’re in that place to ask for help.”
When asked what advice she would give to someone considering a career in therapy, Myre stressed the importance of self-awareness.
“If someone’s looking to start becoming a therapist, I think they need to have an understanding of who they are as an individual because you’ll be tested along the way,” she said. “You’ll provide better help and service if you have a good understanding of who you are as a person. It didn’t come to me easy—this has been one heck of a journey—but you’re a better therapist if you know who you are.”
She noted that the profession is not one-size-fits-all. “People don’t want that generic mold,” she said. “You’re choosing a life where you’re very much your own boss, and you need something to stand on at the end of the day.”
For Myre, following her instincts has been the guiding force. “When I ignore that gut feeling, things don’t go so well. When I follow it, I know I’m doing what’s right for me,” she said. “If you have something pulling you toward the mental health field, explore what that means to you. It’s really rewarding work, and that calling is worth listening to.”
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