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Emma JM. Ates, BFA, DTATI, RP, RCAT

I founded The Lojong Center out of a deep commitment to healing and transformation—within ourselves, our relationships, and our world. My path has been shaped by years of contemplative practice, creative inquiry, and clinical experience.

I’ve long believed that true healing arises when we bring awareness, compassion, and creativity into direct relationship with the embodied mind.
The Contemplative Creative Therapy (CCT) model was born from this intersection—where ancient wisdom meets modern psychology, and where symbolic expression and meditative presence become tools for insight, resilience, and change.

Through The Lojong Center, my hope is to share this integrative approach with those who seek not only to alleviate suffering, but to cultivate deeper meaning and aliveness.

Founder of The Lojong Center & Creator of CCT

Emma JM. Ates is the founder and director of The Lojong Center for Contemplative Creative Science and the creator of the Contemplative Creative Therapy (CCT) model. Her work bridges Buddhist psychology, Dharma Art, Miksang contemplative photography, and contemplative science with art psychotherapy and embodied creativity.
 
She has developed multiple CCT specializations, including Contemplative Photo Collage (CPC), Contemplative Photo Therapy (CPT), and Contemplative Brushwork (CBW), to support therapeutic transformation through embodied mind training and contemplative creative expression.

Clinical and Teaching Background

Emma is a registered psychotherapist (CRPO) and a registered art therapist (RCAT, CATA) in private practice, where she works with adults and couples. Her therapeutic approach integrates Buddhist psychology, contemplative psychotherapy, and evidence-based interventions such as Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). At the heart of her practice is the CCT model’s eight-level framework, which promotes a gradual and empowering transformation of the embodied mind.
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She has taught at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies in the Applied Mindfulness Meditation Certificate Program (Mindfulness & Art Therapy course), and at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute (TATI). She has also led workshops and trainings with Glendon York University, the Mindful Society Global Institute, and SickKids Hospital in Toronto.

Education and Training

Emma holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Aix-en-Provence University (France) and a Master-level Diploma in Art Therapy (DTATI) from the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. She has completed advanced training and certification in:

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  • Contemplative Psychotherapy & Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT) – Nalanda Institute

  • Applied Mindfulness Meditation – University of Toronto

  • Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), ACT, and DBT modalities

Meditation & Contemplative Arts Training

Emma took refuge in the Tibetan Mahayana tradition in 1999 in France and continues her Buddhist study and practice in Canada with Gaden Choling for the West and the Paramita Center in Toronto. Since 2022, she has deepened her engagement in Dharma Art and Zen creative disciplines through regular study with Jody Hojin Kimmel Sensei of Zen Mountain Monastery.

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She has trained extensively in contemplative arts practices, including:

  • Nalanda Miksang Contemplative Photography (Levels I–III, Absolute Eye, Maitri Space Awareness) – with John McQuade

  • Shambhala Art – with Steven and Anne Saitzyk

  • Brushwork and Big Brush Mind – with Barbara Bash

  • Sumi-e & Ikebana – with Hiroshi Yamamoto (Hakuho) and Sachiko Hata Pereklita at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Toronto

  • Etegami (Japanese image-letter art) – introductory studies

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Her personal practice continues to inform her clinical work, teaching, and writing.

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