Hi there!  Thanks for stopping by.  I’m Mary Ellen Bratu. I’ve been a licensed clinical psychologist for almost 30 years, in private practice for 20 years and am now seeing clients and workshop participants at The Well Within Workshop, a spacious storefront 30 miles west of Chicago. Before stepping into psychology, I was an art director in advertising in Chicago and have been a maker in one form or another for all of my life.  The Well Within Workshop combines my commitment to health and well-being with my love for art-making. Like most folks who make art, I’ve long understood that health and healing are deeply intertwined in the act of making anything with one’s hands–“our original digital devices,” says Lynda Barry. As our post-industrial society moves us further and further away from opportunities to be a maker, I’m happy to offer a place for fellow travelers to come home to themselves through the practice of making art.

The Well Within Workshop hosts private art-making events and I’d love to host your group soon.  The workshop offers 3-hour practices for a maximum of 8 participants, with everything you need provided.  If an in-person visit isn’t possible, I very much hope that my blog supports you in spending some quality time in your own well within workshop, that rich parcel of real estate between your mind, your heart and your hands.