American Art Therapy Association

“I understood the positive impact of my creative endeavors, long before I had ever heard of art therapy. It wasn’t until I completed my training and worked with different populations that I discovered I had unknowingly started on a path towards becoming an art therapist. Although I did not take the most direct route, I have learned to appreciate all of the personal challenges, professional opportunities and creative lessons I have experienced along the way.”

"Social justice issues such as equality for women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA individuals have impacted my work as a cis-male art therapist. Creating a non-judgmental and safe art therapy space for my clients, educating myself on my client’s cultural identity, and taking on a nuanced view of political and social concerns strengthen my ability to advocate for them."

“My adventurous and fulfilling journey in art therapy wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic mentors I had along the way. I urge the art therapy community to connect and collaborate, and create opportunities to train and learn with the next generation of art therapists.”

"Designing and facilitating art as therapy groups or art psychosocial support groups with resettled refugee women and teens in Colorado especially doing virtual programming in the middle of the pandemic, with a language barrier, technical barrier, and limited art supplies, showed me resilience and hope from the people I work with."

"I earned my master’s degree in art therapy from the University of Louisville, where I learned from Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) co-creators Vija Lusebrink and Sandra (Kagin) Graves-Alcorn. Their tutelage and supervision as I mastered concepts in the classroom and applied them in clinical settings was invaluable."

"Through my continued work with Spanish-speaking clients, a pertinent theme that came to light was the stigmatized view of mental health and therapy.... In understanding that this stigma was pervasive in our community, I adapted my approach and started to carefully address the unspoken hesitations that may have been arising in the therapeutic process."

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, social justice issues have been on my mind with the rise in violence against Asians. As a Tokyo-born art therapist, I am inspired and motivated by the hate to offer lectures and educate the art therapy community on what we can do about it."

"If I could offer advice to someone pursuing a career in art therapy, it would be to invest in your own mental health and wellness. Hurt people hurt others, and healed people are most equipped to accompany others on their own healing journeys. I am a therapist who sees a therapist, and it is my number one, non-negotiable, self-care practice; I could not do the work I do without it."