Arts-based workshops with the MARI method of mandala making.
Creativity, consciousness, and the Great Round brought to life.
Welcome to the MARI Mandala Corner.
This is a home for arts-based workshops shaped with care, clarity, and respect for the healing power of imagery. The work draws from the MARI Mandala Assessment Research Instrument, also called the Great Round, a cyclical map of human development created by art therapist Joan Kellogg.
The Great Round honors the natural rhythms of beginning, growth, dissolution, rest, and renewal that live within each of us.
Workshops are offered occasionally, about every three months. Some will provide continuing education for art therapists. Others will center creativity, calm, self-development, and joy.
All gatherings are private and confidential.
What the MARI-inspired Approach is
The MARI approach begins with intention. You set a focus, whether a question, an issue, a relationship, or an open inquiry. You draw a circle and allow shapes, symbols, and colors to emerge, creating a visual snapshot of your inner landscape.
While the full MARI process includes symbol and color card selections and a formal assessment, these workshops emphasize learning the stages of the Great Round and using mandala making as a creative, supportive, and reflective practice.
What to Expect
A theme connected to a stage of the Great Round
A guided mandala practice and space to create
Group reflection with optional sharing
Practical prompts you can repeat at home
Respect for the depth and integrity of the MARI method
When noted, I will also weave in simple reflections from numerology, astrology, and oracle card readings. These lenses are optional companions and are not part of the official MARI protocol.
Continuing Education for Art Therapists
Select workshops will provide continuing education credit for art therapists. These events include didactic content, learning objectives, time for questions, and clear documentation of attendance. Details and approval information will appear on each event page.
Scope and Ethics
These offerings are workshops and not therapy groups. My approach is experiential and integrative. I honor the MARI method as a structured, art-based assessment that informs themes and teaching. The formal MARI assessment will not be used in these workshops. All spiritual and symbolic reflections are optional. Confidentiality and psychological safety are prioritized.
Frequency and Format
Workshops run every three months, give or take. We meet live online for two hours. No prior art experience is needed. Simple art materials will be needed. A list will be provided.
Join the Interest List
Be informed and the first to know about dates, registration, and CE details. While you are on the list, I will send brief recordings, prompts, and messages about the MARI approach to support your creativity and help you prepare for our time together.
Sample themes:
✨ Beginnings, intention, and the energy of One
✨ Trusting the unknown and resting in the center
✨ Boundaries, choice, and structure that support growth
✨Dissolution and renewal as part of the cycle
✨ Visioning, integration, and returning to wholeness
*No Art Experience Necessary!
About Mari
Mari Grande is an art and trauma therapist, author, and intuitive guide whose work bridges myth, psyche, and the quiet truths revealed through mandala-making.
She draws on the MARI Mandala Assessment Research Instrument, expressive arts, and trauma-informed care to help people reconnect with their center and creativity.
Her groups welcome both clinicians and creative seekers. Participants often describe her teaching as warm, grounded, and gently transformative.
What you Receive When you Join
✨ Early registration notices
✨ CE information when relevant
✨ Short recordings and creative prompts
✨ Updates on new themes and special events