November 30, 2017
Wendy Wasserman, MA, ATR, LPCC works at an agency in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she provides art therapy to children, teens and young adults. Wasserman is active in the AATA community; she serves as President-Elect of the New Mexico Art Therapy Association (NMATA) and recently chaired the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) of the AATA’s 2017 conference. She especially values her AATA membership for the Journal resource and the opportunities offered at conference. Ms. Wasserman reflects, “My first AATA conference was in 2014 and was my first time among my peers in AATA. I was quickly welcomed and embraced as a budding Art Therapist. A few years later, in 2017 I had the opportunity to serve as LAC Chair. This experience was quite different from my previous in that I was a front row observer to the passion, compassion, dedication and integrity of the AATA leadership during especially challenging times. Once again, I left the conference feeling inspired and hopeful for the future.”
Wasserman shares her story of how she found art therapy:
Following a health crisis that served as a wake-up call, I began to reflect upon my life. Years earlier, I had abandoned my artistic pursuits, yet this is where I turned to find myself. Art making helped to manage my feelings, as well as imagine my future. A few years later, I was employed as an executive assistant in Manhattan. On September 11th, 2001, working blocks from the WTC, I experienced the tragic events of September 11th and again faced the concept of my mortality. Once again, I turned to art to help manage my emotions. In the following years, I experienced even more of a creative awakening. A casual conversation introduced me to art therapy as a career and I realized that it would be my dream occupation. After researching educational requirements, I left my job and became a dedicated student. After a 20-year college absence, I earned a BA in Human Development from SUNY Empire State College in 2011. Months later, I moved to New Mexico, and in 2013, I earned an MA in Art Therapy/Counseling from Southwestern College.
“Connecting Dots” by Wendy Wasserman. Mixed media. 2015.
Artist’s Statement: “As an Art Therapist, I strive to capture emotion in my artwork. Whether the media used is photography, acrylic, watercolor or mixed, the art that I make originates from a place of authenticity and healing. When creating art, I often work from a phenomenological perspective where I will set intent, concentrating on emotions or conflicts that I hope to better understand or resolve. I hope others are able to find their own relationship to the organic symbols and figures found in my art.”