Ali McKleroy, M.A., LMFT

Founder • Art Therapist • Author • Artist

Hi, I’m Ali. I’m a licensed art therapist with two decades of experience and the founder of Center for Spark®.

Burnout did not come crashing in for me. It built gradually in a way that was harder to undo later.

It started with the pace. Back-to-back sessions, little time to ground, and a nervous system that never fully came down between clients. Over time, I noticed I was cutting out the very things that used to keep me grounded. I stopped making art for myself.

It also changed how I related to people. After work, I did not want to listen to anyone talk. I started sending friends’ calls to voicemail and staying in when I used to want to socialize. Even good plans felt like one more thing I had to manage.

And then there was the private practice piece that nobody really prepares you for. I loved the freedom of it, but I also carried the constant low-level anxiety of making consistent money, managing cancellations, and being responsible for everything. I could feel that pressure running in the background even when things were going well.

Eventually, I realized my humor was fading and my joy felt smaller. Nothing dramatic happened, but I didn’t feel like my energetic, sparkly self anymore, and it became clear I needed to make some changes.

That is why I created Restoring the Radiant Healer, a monthly space where therapists can come back to themselves through simple creative practices, supportive rituals, somatic practices, and real community with people who get it. Creative joy is not an extra for me anymore. It is part of how I stay well enough to do this work and still have the vitality and energy I need to life the life I choose to live.

That’s why I created Restoring the Radiant Healer - a monthly sanctuary where we return to our own medicine:

🌙 Creative practices that awaken expression, joy and flow.
🌙 Soulful rituals that replenish the nervous system and ground.
🌙 Community with therapists who truly see and understand you.

Because creative joy can be a wellspring of SPARKLE. And when we reclaim our spark, our work and our lives begin to light up again.