AATA2024 Virtual Conference Schedule

Learn more about the presenters here

Welcome and Plenary Session 

Arts & Health Continuum: A New Perspective

From the White House to the World Health Organization, policy makers have begun pushing to integrate arts in physical health care, beyond mental health and well-being. For the art therapy profession, these trends provide an opportunity to reassess our guiding principles and chart a dynamic future. In this plenary session, panelists will discuss how the arts are emerging as the next frontier in health and well-being, as more federal and local governments, healthcare systems, and cultural institutions are increasing their arts and wellness programming. (Learn more)

Featuring AATA President Nadia Paredes; Dr. Nisha Sajnani, Director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab; Dr. Marygrace Berberian, NYU Graduate Art Therapy Program Director and AATA Board Member; and Yazmany Arboleda, New York City’s inaugural People’s Artist at the Civic Engagement Commission

Adolescents: Comparing 3D Virtual Reality and Traditional 2D Art-Making Experiences

Presenter reveals insights into adolescents’ artistic exploration through virtual reality (VR) art-making. Participants depicted safe spaces with traditional art materials, later recreated them in VR. Thematic analysis unveiled themes: diminished confidence, empowerment, multisensory engagement, and shared experiences of gender-switching. Virtual reality empowers non-traditional expression of thoughts, fostering participation and creativity. [PAPER]

Presenter: Lidice Cohen

Building Capacity Back Home: Art Therapy Post-Graduate Certificate Program Based in Istanbul (NY)

This presentation describes the development of an art therapy training program in Turkey by six art therapists trained in the US during the 2000s. Returning in the 2010s, they crafted a curriculum bridging US and Turkish academic and social norms, showcasing capacity building by international therapists in their home country. [PAPER]

Presenters: Bihter Yasemin Adali, Seyma Cavusoglu, Aslıhan Özcan Morey, Asli Arslanbek Evci, Leyla Akca

Lunch Break and Shared Interest Group (SIG) Sessions

Art Therapy Efficacy Study For Indian Women With Chronic Mental Health Conditions

The presentation will discuss an original pilot research using clay-pottery based art therapy intervention with residents of an assisted-living community facility for women with chronic mental health conditions in India. A structured Art therapy intervention module developed for the research will be discussed in detail. [PAPER]

Presenter: Saoni Banerjee

Sensory-based Relational Art Therapy Approach: Supporting the emotional needs of autistic children (N)

This session will outline the Sensory-based Relational Art Therapy Approach and explain the rationale behind its seven themes. The exploration of these themes will be done through case vignettes, illustrating their practical implications. [PAPER]

Presenter: Huma Durrani

Papermaking as Art Therapy to Address Trauma and Loss (N/NY)

This panel will explore hand papermaking as a form of art therapy from the experiences, practice, and reflections of four art therapists. Attendees will learn about papermaking materials, methods, and applications to implement this media to specifically address trauma, grief, and loss, as well as empower resilience and recovery. [PANEL]

Presenters: Gretchen Miller, Meredith McMackin, Denise Wolf, Annie McFarland

Charting the Future of Art Therapy Research: Implementation for Advancement and Sustainability (NY)

This presentation describes the outcome and implementation of multi-phasic research project the goal of which was to create an art therapy research strategic plan. Projects such as Teaching Research and The Metaphor Project are discussed as exemplars of the implementation of the five broad art therapy research strategic goals. [PANEL]

Presenters: Nancy Gerber, Theresa Van Lith, Madeline Centracchio

AATA Member Authors Fireside Chat 

Sponsor Showcase 

Art demo TBD

Networking Session

Cult Recovery, Complex Trauma, and Art Therapy: A Comprehensive Approach (N/NY)

This presentation delves into the intersection of cult recovery, complex trauma, and the innovative application of art therapy as a transformative modality for survivors. Coercive control, a subtle yet insidious form of abuse, often leaves survivors grappling with complex trauma, a multifaceted and enduring aftermath that challenges traditional therapeutic approaches. [PANEL]

Presenters: Natalee Bigger Stockdale, Ashlen Hilliard, Erin Falconer

HeART in India: Indian Perspectives on Art and Healing (Through Art) (N/NY)

The HeART in India panel will explore: cultural aspects of art therapy, art, and healing in India, the ongoing shifts in awareness and acceptance of art therapy as a mental health profession/field, and a few accessible therapeutic art techniques that might help increase accessibility of art therapy in India. [PANEL]

Presenters: Alison Kearley, Vishakha Rao, Megha Ananth, Manjari Srikanth

Decolonizing Art Therapy from Within: Disarming with Your Inner Colonizer

This presentation will discuss the universal nature of art therapy, the need for constant self-reflexivity, and the benefits of cultural adaptation in practice and research. It will emphasize the importance of a decolonized and socially just stance, including all voices from different locations. The role of reflexivity and self-reflexivity in art therapy is highlighted, along with the significance of understanding the inter-relationality present in all aspects of life. We will also explore how creativity can be used as a form of resistance towards meaningful social change. Finally, it calls for acknowledging our contribution to sustaining inequalities and working towards liberation and social justice in exploring our inner colonizer.

Presenters: Natalia Gómez-Carlier

Silhouettes That Unveil: A Revealing Insight Into Sexual Abuse Survivors In Singapore (N)

This session will highlight the consistent patterns observed in female sexual abuse survivors’ artwork during art therapy sessions in Singapore. Some sexual abuse survivors tend to create similar metaphors that aid in identification and tailored interventions. This presentation will be especially useful for clinicians working with clients with complex trauma. [PAPER]

Presenter: Buvenasvari Pragasam

Lunch Break and Shared Interest Group (SIG) Sessions

Psychedelics and Art Therapy: Bridging Two Worlds (N/NY)

This panel will explore the historical use of psychedelics in traditional and Western practices, including the use of psychedelics in mental health treatment. Panelists will review ethical and legal implications of incorporating this work into clinical practice and present their experience using art therapy at different stages of psychedelics therapy. [PANEL]

Presenters: Rebecca Wilkinson, Amelia Laver, Charmaine Husum

Doctoral Education: Is it for Me? (N/NY)

This panel of doctoral level art therapy students and educators will provide an opportunity to learn more about the intended values and goals of doctoral education, especially as related to students of diverse backgrounds, races, gender orientations, and perspectives facing implicit and explicit institutional hierarchies. [PANEL]

Presenters: Danielle Chen, Nancy Gerber, Lisa Hinz

Numbers Tell the Story: Teaching, Learning, and Applying Quantitative Research Methods (NY)

Numbers tell the story. Using quantitative research methods, students and practitioners learn ways to find the story in numbers. What are mental health professionals’ attitudes towards art therapy? Does this treatment method cause a change? Art therapy educators learn innovative ways to experientially teach research. [PAPER]

Presenter: Patricia St John

Transformative Art Therapy: Self-Discovery in Women’s Correctional Facilities with Expressive Post

This presentation explores the impact of the Expressive Post impact in a women’s prison, utilizing relational art therapy to foster self-discovery and empowerment. It highlights innovative techniques and transformative outcomes, emphasizing the role of art in facilitating change and connection within the challenging carceral environment. [PAPER]

Presenters: Theresa Van Lith and Hayley Arjona

Networking Session

Closing Session

Notes

The program is still being developed and updates will continue to be published in the program. The published schedule is subject to change. Presenters listed in the program have been invited, but changes may occur. If you have any questions, or need help registering for conference, please contact membership@arttherapy.org.