July 5, 2018
Brenda Maltz MA, RN, LMHCA, ATR is an art therapist at the Madigan Intrepid Spirit Center on Joint Base Lewis McCord (JBLM) in Tacoma, Washington. Contracted by the Americans for the Arts’, Creative Forces program, supported through the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, she works with active duty service members struggling with brain injury, chronic pain, PTSD and other psychological issues. She is a military spouse and a long-time resident of South Puget Sound. As member her local chapter, the Evergreen Art Therapy Association, Maltz has collaborated with other members to increase awareness of the impact of art therapy on active duty service members, veterans and their families in the Puget Sound region.
As a member, she appreciates how “AATA supports and promotes outcomes based research, from student, professional, and international resources. Evidence based studies help increase my understanding of art therapy from a variety of perspectives and improve scholarly communication among my colleagues in other fields.” She additionally enjoys “the camaraderie among art therapists attending the national conferences, where I have been able to share ideas and keep in touch with art therapists from around the country and abroad.”
After a 30 year nursing career, Maltz shifted focus to follow her passion for healing through the arts, earning her Master’s Degree in Counseling and Art Therapy at Antioch University Seattle. “I have come to trust that art therapy begins with a willingness on my part to be fully present, especially among warriors. Establishing emotional safety allows for the creative flow necessary to merge image with thoughts, emotions and meaning-making.” Her hope is that art therapy will soon be considered “a mainstream treatment, as opposed to a complementary offering for healing and wellness. State licensure and evidence based research can make an impact in that direction.”
“Linked” by Brenda Maltz. Collage, handmade printed paper. June 2018.