June 24, 2025
The American Art Therapy Association represents a diversity of professionals, students, and organizations across the nation. We recognize and celebrate the work of our members at all levels through our Featured Member series.
Join BA July 29th for the presentation they are co-presenting “Art Therapy and Disability Justice in Mental Health.” Register here.
What inspires you most about your job right now?
At the heart of human experience lie stories, illuminating our world and connecting us across differences. A story steward is one who honors the power and sanctity of these narratives, both those they tell and those they hear. They handle stories with deep respect and care, acknowledging the inherent value of the experiences, emotions, and truths they contain. In all the work I do I take the title of “story steward” to heart. As an art therapist, I’ve seen how exploring these narratives can empower clients to express their experiences and emotions in a safe and supportive environment. My own art practice has explored many mediums over the years. My fine art is primarily process-driven, a passion instilled in me since childhood by a parent who embraced creativity as a way of life. Storytelling is woven through my art, as well as my work on community projects and in documentary filmmaking.
Witnessing others’ stories fosters understanding and empathy, while sharing our own stories creates connection and intimacy. Engaging with stories stimulates our imagination and critical thinking, allowing us to explore different scenarios and perspectives. Stories allow us to experience the emotions of others, gaining insights into diverse lives, cultures, and perspectives. Stories preserve values, traditions, and history across generations. Stories ignite our imaginations, evoke a spectrum of emotions, and shape our identities, weaving a shared human tapestry. Crucially, stories serve as powerful teachers, allowing us to vicariously experience life’s complexities and learn from the challenges and triumphs of others. I cherish the stories people share with me in both my personal and professional lived experiences.
Has working with a particular client group shaped your professional focus or specialty? What have you learned from working with these clients?
My work as an art therapist and educator has spanned many years and with that I have worked within many systems. While working with youth in foster care and the juvenile legal system I witnessed many of my art therapy participants experience many injustices. This has also been true for the many individuals I worked with in my open studio who have experienced disabilities. I am continually working to weave a decolonized approach into my clinical work with art therapy participants as well as with the students I am privileged to work with as an educator. I am committed to providing support that affirms all the social locations of those whom I serve.
How have race, diversity, and/or social justice impacted your work as an art therapist?
My goal in all the work I do is to support individuals honoring their creative process, personal strengths, and intersections while providing tangible opportunities for healing and growth in any facet of life. I also believe in the importance of acknowledging, questioning and creatively dismantling historical systemic power structures that have been in place and have unfairly oppressed individuals.
From my own lived experience I realize that I hold privilege in my ability to “pass” in many ways. My skin tone and eye color lean to Caucasian norms. My gender identity is not obvious and I am misgendered more often than I am gendered correctly. I lived many years masking my hearing struggles and neurodiversity instinctively. This experience of “passing” brings complicated feelings and with the experience I witness aspects of dominant culture functioning without forethought. I am committed to continually work to identify and counteract any elements of my own privilege as they arise.
“It’s crucial that the field of art therapy continues to prioritize inclusivity and genuinely meet participants where they are. This means actively working to decenter power dynamics within therapeutic relationships and increasing awareness of the many social justice issues we face in our world today.”
— BA Short MA, LCAT, ATR-BC, ATCS
What advice would you give someone interested in pursuing a career in art therapy?
Art therapy uniquely offers a powerful avenue for individuals to explore their personal narratives. It’s essential that those entering the field of art therapy deeply appreciate the rich and dynamic nature of each individual they will encounter. The profession will undoubtedly flourish with practitioners who are committed to continuous self-reflection and embrace lifelong learning, ensuring they remain responsive and effective in supporting the diverse stories of their participants.
About BA Short MA, LCAT, ATR-BC, ATCS
BA Short MA, LCAT, ATR-BC, ATCS is a nationally Board Certified Art Therapist, a Licensed Certified Art Therapist (LCAT) in Oregon and has been in practice since 1999, graduating from Marylhurst University. BA identifies as a mixed race, gender queer/nonbinary person. BA also has multiple invisible disabilities. BA is an artist, art therapist, educator, author, and filmmaker. In all of their work BA applies a postmodernist approach incorporating intersectionality, social constructionism, feminism, queer theory, liberatory practices, antiableism, and antiracism.
Learn more about BA Short on their LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.