Faculty Member
Wes Chester
M.A. Expressive Arts Therapy, CAGS
Wes Chester is an outdoorsman, artist, bird watcher, musician, naturalist and poet. His master's thesis introduced Expressive Arts to the concept of Eco-Aesthetics, an arts and philosophy based understanding of Decentering through the sensual encounter with nature.
In addition to teaching, he manages the Bayview Clubhouse, a milieu therapy program for persons with severe mentally illness, who are his greatest teachers. In private practice, he specializes in helping therapists and clients rediscover their aesthetic relationship to the natural world as a resource for growth, inspiration, change and recovery from trauma. He is also trains professionals in the importance of effective sexual health conversations with their clients and patients. Wes is the co-director of the Expressive Arts Institute, a school focused upon teaching through the embodied experience, and peer supported learning in an environment of scholarly inquiry.