Boats sailing on the sea Painting

Portside Art and Relational Therapy Institute in Port Stanley, Ontario

Portside Art and Relational Therapy Institute (PARTI) brings together an integrative team of experienced professional clinicians to provide a comprehensive range of retreats, programs, support, supervision, resources and continuing education. We are passionate about empowering others to lead inspired, meaningful and abundant lives to understand the mind-body-relationship connection to be the best you can be!

We provide an integrative approach to our continuing education learning programs that brings together trauma and systemically informed therapies that are emotion based bodily rooted and experiential in approach, through both mainline and alternative approaches for clinicians to provide best practices for their clients. Our services to the public are to help support individuals, couples, and families that are struggling and we offer both in person, on-line as well as in retreat programming. Through our Accrediting Counsellors and Therapists Programming we offer these same services at a discounted rate for those that are struggling financially. PARTI is a not for profit that accepts donations and raises funds to provide these services in order to aide those in need that otherwise could not afford this much needed help.

Our Mission

Our mission is to connect, engage, and inform those that struggle with physical, psychological, and social issues in our community by providing a venue for performance and art based programs. Our mission is to discover, create, and share ideas to empower people that struggle to find their voice, tell their story and learn skills to enhance quality of life, lead positive social change and deliver value to members through mental health care, education, and advocacy. Our mandate is to produce appealing expressive art and education programs working alongside individuals with any type of issue through.

  • Written word and performance art
  • Artistic creative processes such as dance, drawing, music, painting, photography, sculpture, theatre
  • Multimedia such as video, audio, photograph, text

We provide opportunities for volunteers to engage with organizations to provide emotional support assistance through our different programs

  • Comedy Adrift
  • Art Angels
  • Emotional Support Animals

Partnering with art galleries, museums, and little theatres to provide performance opportunities. We provide continuing education for professionals and our volunteers as well as supervisory support, and workbooks.

Land Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge the history of the traditional territory on which the Portside Art Institute stands. PARTI is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek (Ah-nish-in-a-bek), Haudenosaunee (Ho-den-no-show-nee), Lūnaapéewak (Len-ahpay-wuk) and Attawandaron (Add-a-won-da-run) peoples. These lands are connected with the Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land was used as their traditional hunting grounds and continues to be home to diverse Indigenous peoples whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society. We would also like to recognize the relationships of the local three First Nations: Chippewa of the Thames First Nation (part of the Anishinaabe); Oneida Nation of the Thames (part of the Haudenosaunee); and, Munsee-Delaware Nation (part of the Leni-Lunaape).

PARTI invites you to reflect upon this land acknowledgement:

  1. What are the barriers to wellness and healing linked to colonization?
  2. What is the importance of culture, spirituality and Indigenous practices in art?
  3. How can we meet the challenge of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action i.e. education, health, and justice mean to our personal stories and our relationships with Indigenous communities?
  4. In the interest of inclusion and equity, what commitments or improvements can PARTI make towards wellness?

Our Commitment

We are committed to providing integrative third wave advanced training to intentionally create lasting personal, couples, families and professional transformation.