May 24, 2018
Kimberly Faulkner, ATR-BC, LCAT, has over a decade of clinical experience working with behavioral health populations and industry professionals. She founded BlueMonarch Creative, LLC “to build environments centered in joy, crafting methods for wellness and community in the workplace and beyond.” She especially values her AATA membership for the professional network and notes, “Being a member of AATA has been instrumental in the transition from my New York professional life to my Northern Virginia experience. Although I am miles away from where I began my practice, it has been heartwarming to meet fellow clinicians who have gone out of their way to share contacts, relevant clinical information and make introductions to local art therapists that I might not have known otherwise.”
Faulkner holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hampton University and a Master of Professional Studies in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute. She is also trained as an end-of-life doula and a Reiki practitioner and has presented at major regional and global conferences including the International Phototherapy Conference in Turku, Finland.
Mindfulness, stress reduction, and wellness are focal points in her work. “Art therapy gives our unconscious lives breath and delivers it to a safe, supported and empowered place,” she says. As a message to her colleagues she notes, “This profession lends itself to the natural caregiver, and making sure we tend to ‘self’ is especially important given our tendency to be present for others.”
For the future of the profession, she hopes to see “more inclusion of people of color and diverse backgrounds in the field” and “art therapy included in a more wide-spread manner in medically covered healthcare options."
