AATA Blog
June is Pride Month: Here’s what art therapists need to know
By Daniel Blausey | June 21, 2018 | #WeAreArtTherapists
For art therapists, Pride Month is not only a time to celebrate, commemorate, and march proudly in solidarity, it is also a time to reflect on the shifting political and cultural fronts impacting our clients within the LGBTQIA community on a day-to-day basis. It is important to recognize the varying social locations — cultural backgrounds such as religion, language, cuisine, social habits, arts, and specific family history of race, gender, socio-economic status, and education — that intersect for each of our clients, potentially manifesting as depression, suicidality, anger, low self-worth or any combination of emotions.
Featured Member: 2018 Conference Logo Artist Contributor
By Nina Hausfeld | June 14, 2018 | #WeAreArtTherapists
I feel deeply honored that my artwork was selected to serve as a visual representation of our theme of “Honoring Yesterday, Celebrating Today and Building Tomorrow.” I think that the Board’s decision to add the lotus mandala extending beyond the boundaries of the colored center is what really transformed a visually pleasing background conceived by me into a meaningful symbol that encompasses this conference’s theme.
Recapping Mental Health Month 2018
By Clara Keane | May 31, 2018 | Children | Events
Since 1949, America has observed May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Each year as a nation, we double down on the fight against stigma and educate the public, support those struggling with mental illnesses, and promote policies grounded in evidence-based treatment and methods.
Voices of Art Therapy: Children’s Mental Health
By Clara Keane | May 10, 2018 | Children | Trauma | #WeAreArtTherapists
In honor of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day on May 10, 2018, we are sharing some stories written by art therapists who work with children and adolescents. The art making process allows for expression without words, helps establish safety, creates opportunities for coping, and offers a way to manage feelings, thoughts, and experiences for future exploration and insight.
Puerto Rico and Florida AATA Chapters Offer Group Art Therapy in the Wake of Maria
By Anais Lugo-Axtmann | April 26, 2018 | Trauma | Community
Experiencing hurricanes Irma and Maria was traumatic for most people living on the island of Puerto Rico. Seven months after Maria, Puerto Rico continues to experience prolonged losses of electricity, water, communications and infrastructure, limiting individuals’ ability to recover, keep their jobs and return to their routine (which is so vital for recovery). Many Puerto Ricans are reporting intense feelings of anxiety and depression which have been linked to the onset of mental health crises.
Appreciating Specialized Instructional Support Personnel: Here’s what this Means for Art Therapists
By Lida Sunderland | April 19, 2018 | Advocacy | Children | Education | #WeAreArtTherapists
April 16-20, 2018 is Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP) Appreciation Week! Check out the Congressional Resolution (H. Res. 823) introduced on April 12th to honor art therapists and other SISP colleagues during this special week.
Voices of Art Therapy: Trust and the Therapeutic Alliance
By Kat Michel | April 12, 2018 | #WeAreArtTherapists
The therapeutic alliance between art therapist and client is the foundation for the clinical session, and it is through the quality and nature of this relationship that goals are set and achieved, and positive change occurs. A core part of this is the idea of trust: trust in the safety of the clinical space, trust in confidentiality, trust in a nonjudgmental approach to art making, and more. The following stories from Voices of Art Therapy highlight moments during which art therapists were able to meet clients at their levels, build rapport, and establish trust, all through the “simple” act of art making.
Arts Advocacy Day 2018: Taking a Stand for the Arts in America
By Clara Keane | April 5, 2018 | Advocacy | Events
The AATA is a proud National Partner of Americans for the Arts’ (AftA) Arts Advocacy Day (AAD), which gathered over 650 advocates from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, who attended more than 300 meetings with legislators and staff. AAD provides a chance each year to stand in solidarity with over 85 national arts organizations to support and defend the arts in America.
South Florida Art Therapists Offer Free Services in Aftermath of the Valentine’s Day Shooting
By Raquel Farrell-Kirk | March 1, 2018 | Trauma | Community
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, MSD as it’s often abbreviated, is less than an hour away from my home, only 30 minutes away from my office, and a mere mile from the Coral Springs Museum of Art, where I conduct a weekly art therapy open studio group for veterans. This proximity is how I came to receive a phone call from the museum’s Executive Director, asking for guidance in setting up free art therapy services in the aftermath of the Valentine’s Day shooting that left 17 dead.
Good Art: Bad City
By Liz DelliCarpini | February 22, 2018 | Children | Community
In an effort to strengthen the interpersonal and institutional resources available for youth involved in the juvenile justice system, School of Visual Arts’ (SVA) MPS in Art Therapy program has formed a partnership with Artistic Noise, an independent nonprofit that “exists to bring the freedom and power of artistic practice to young people who are incarcerated, on probation, or otherwise involved in the justice system” (“Artistic Noise,” 2018).