we create mindspaces to explore ideas and transitions differently

Expressive Integration • Experiences • STEP Framework • Meet Mayra

I want to learn more

Join our Fall 2026 Retreat

what is expressive integration?

Expressive Integration is an experiential approach that uses tangible, multi-modal, and symbolic activities to make ideas and experiences easier to explore, reconsider, and understand from new perspectives.

as you consider our approach, keep this in mind: "integration" describes the convergence of ideas, semantics, and possibilities into clearer relationship with one another.

Therefore, when we say "expressive integration," we do NOT mean we're prescribing what someone should ultimately think, feel, or change. What individuals ultimately make of any enlightening discoveries (by way of our psychoeducational experiences) belongs entirely to them.

your mindspace awaits

Your psychoeducational invite is here

through language, symbolism, meaning-making, and guided discovery, our psychoeducational experiences invite you to see familiar ideas differently and imagine new possibilities for what comes next.

remember: education of any kind opens you up to new knowledge and can inspire fresh ways of seeing things. psychoeducation (education that brings psychological knowledge and human experience into everyday learning and exploration) is no different.

Importantly, what you ultimately think, feel, reconsider, discover, or change through learning belongs entirely to you. Plus, any meaningful change that may follow does not, by itself, make an experience clinical, just as psychoeducation is not synonymous with psychotherapy.

see our experiences

1:1 Expressive Integration

non-clinical, individual facilitations begin with a simple question: What would you like to explore?

You choose the discussion or starting point; it could be an experience, personal narrative, transition, question, idea, a passion project you'd like to pursue, or whatever more. Through tangible, symbolic, and experiential activities, Expressive Integration (EI) creates new ways to help you observe, question, and reconsider your adventures and overall direction. What you ultimately discover or make of an EI experience belongs to you.

$295 (45 min) / $395 (90 min) per facilitation
(20% off for 3-Facilitation Pass)

speaking or keynotes

high-humanity talks on meaning-making, semantics and narrative, symbolic thinking, transformation, and more

Engaging talks exploring a range of topics centering human connection, psychological and neuroscience, and other ideas that shape how we understand ourselves and our experiences.

speaking starting $2,500
keynotes starting $5,000

STEP℠ framework
experiences

standalone experiential events built around one particular STEP activity, concept or shared theme

These tailored events are designed experiential programs for small groups of 6-12, and potentially include materials, tailored preparation, venue costs (in some cases), and facilitation. Through guided exploration labs, story and meaning circles, or transition-focused workshops, participants engage with tangible, symbolic, and reflective experiences that invite new perspectives, personal discovery, shared storytelling, and meaningful connection.

90-Min STEP Experience • starting $1,500
Half-Day Exploration Lab • starting $2,500
Multi-Day Retreat • Premium / custom pricing

organizational experiences

STEP-based programming for workplaces, schools, nonprofits, retreats, leadership groups, and more

Custom STEP-based experiences for workplaces, schools, nonprofits, and leadership groups designed to inspire reflection, fresh perspectives, meaningful connection, and shared discovery.

Contact for custom pricing

ABOUT OUR STEP℠ FRAMEWORK

1 / EXTERNALIZE

STEP uses tangible, symbolically-aligned, and multi-modal experiences to bring abstract ideas, established semantics, and other contents out of one's head and into something physically observable.

2 / INTERACTION

Once an idea becomes tangible, participants can question it, rearrange it, examine its language and symbolism, and consider perspectives that may have been difficult to see before.

3 / DISCOVER

STEP doesn't prescribe a conclusion or psychological outcome; participants determine what they notice, reconsider, discover, or ultimately take away from their guided learning experience.

meet mayra, your psychoeducator & integrator

mayra is an expressive integrator exploring the intersection of narrative, symbolic thinking, meaning-making, creativity, and human connection

her work

Mayra creates and facilitates tangible, symbolic, and experiential ways of exploring the ideas, transitions, and stories that shape how we understand ourselves and the world around us. Her non-clinical, psychoeducational experiences brings her developed approach to individuals, small groups, communities, and organizations through guided learning practices designed to invite reflection, insightful discovery, and meaningful connection.Across 1:1 facilitations, STEP Experiences, community programming, organizational experiences, and speaking engagements, Mayra champions the idea that compelling insight and transformation can happen when abstract ideas are given new forms through which they can be explored.

her background

Mayra's work spans psychology, media, visual communication, technology, education, and three decades of professional experience in marketing, advertising design, and application development. She teaches as an adjunct at Shenandoah University and as an online instructor teaching cyberpsychology at The School of Radical Imagination, has gained supervised experience in clinical settings, and is the founder of The CyberPsych Institute, an independent nonprofit focused on the psychological dimensions of emerging technology and AI. Mayra additionally serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Kingdom App (via The Kyngdom Group, Inc.), where she counsels development teams on digital behavior, platform psychology, and technology ethics.Beyond her interdisciplinary work, Mayra is also the published author and mixed media artist behind EXUDE, a visual poetry project exploring illustrated expression through the interplay of introspective sentiment and handcrafted imagery.Her collective academic and well-rounded professional expertise inform the ideas behind her psychoeducational focus and STEP℠ framework here at Thresholds & Pathways.

Psychoeducator Mayra McPherson, PhD(c), MA, MFA is proudly independent and not affiliated with Big Insurance, Big Pharma, Big Data, or Big Anything.

home • contact •

creating mindspaces for meaningful exploration, refreshed perspective & profound connection through tangible and symbolic experiences

for individuals

We offer 1:1 Expressive Integration facilitations (non-clinical) that create dedicated and creative space to explore a personally chosen experience, question, transition, or idea through hands-on activities that engage and empower. You choose the starting point and determine what the experience ultimately means to you.

for small groups

Engage in shared STEP℠ Experiences built around a common theme, question, or transition. Intentional activities, tailored to your group's interests, invite individual reflection, fresh perspectives, and collective discovery.

for organizations

We create custom STEP℠ Experiences that bring teams together around shared questions, ideas, transitions, or challenges. Activities encourage revitalized thinking, collective growth, and stronger interpersonal connection.

Thresholds & Pathways (T&P) is a non-clinical psychoeducational and expressive integration practice. Mayra McPherson, PhD(c), MA, MFA is not a licensed psychologist or psychological practitioner, and services offered through Thresholds & Pathways are not psychotherapy, psychological treatment, diagnosis, or a substitute for care from a licensed mental health professional.

download brochure

↑

for 1:1 facilitations: what does non-clinical mean?

A non-clinical experience can be deeply emotional.

someone might cry at one of our retreats, share a hardship they experienced during divorce, or disclose a painful story about childhood. someone might even realize something profound about themselves afterward.

emotion and personal narrative aren't inherently clinical; they're human.

In other words, non-clinical doesn't mean impersonal, superficial, or unemotional. And your story isn't inherently clinical just because it's complicated. Essentially, the terms clinical and/or non-clinical describe the nature and purpose of the professional service; NOT whether human beings happen to experience emotion, tell stories, reflect on themselves, or have meaningful realizations while participating.At Thresholds & Pathways, non-clinical means we do not diagnose, clinically assess, or treat mental health conditions. Instead, we offer psychoeducational experiences and community-oriented programming that invite exploration, reflection, perspective-taking, personal development, and meaningful connection.

one more consideration

nope, expressive integration isn't traditional therapy

Expressive Integration is a non-clinical, psychoeducational approach to personal exploration and development. It does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions and is not a form of psychotherapy.

and no ... expressive integration isn't art therapy either

Art therapy is a regulated mental-health profession involving active art-making and creative process within a psychotherapeutic relationship. Expressive Integration is a non-clinical, psychoeducational approach in which tangible or symbolic experiences, and not art-making or psychotherapy, are used as vehicles for exploration and perspective.

i am new here

Tell us a little bit about yourself as well as the complexities and challenges you or your loved one(s) are presently facing. Additional information about specific mental health goals you aspire to achieve are also welcome.

news & resources

Thank You

Maecenas aliquam velit scelerisque. Nisi vitae suscipit tellus mauris. Suscipit tellus mauris a diam maecenas sed enim ut sem lorem ipsum.

Continue