AATA Blog
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).
Featured Member: Charles Anderson, Art Therapy Pioneer
By Clara Keane | February 15, 2018 | #WeAreArtTherapists
Charles Anderson, ATR-BC, as a pioneer of the art therapy field, witnessed the profession take root and grow. Retired at 77, he still works part-time at Stormont Vail West Hospital, serving clients in crisis and supervising students in the Emporia State University art therapy program.
National Recognition of Art Therapy among Decision Makers
By Clara Keane | Feb. 15, 2018 | Advocacy
The AATA has seen significant increased interest in art therapy among decision makers across various levels of state government. Within the last year, art therapy has been represented in national events and initiatives by the National Lieutenant Governors’ Association (NLGA), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM).
Virginia Sunrise Review Application Featured in Board of Health Professions Meeting
By Gretchen Graves | January 18, 2018 | Advocacy | Events
As the AATA works with members in 24 states engaged in advocacy efforts during the 2018 legislative sessions, I would like to highlight some good news from Virginia. The Virginia Board of Health Professions recently presented its proposed scope of study and schedule for a comprehensive review of the art therapy profession during a public meeting on December 7, 2017.
The Case Made for Art Therapy Licensure at the 2017 National Conference of State Legislatures
By Deborah Good | January 11, 2018 | Advocacy | Events
The AATA was invited to participate in a panel presentation entitled “The Arts and Well Being Across the Military Continuum” at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Capitol Forum in San Diego, California. I was honored to represent the AATA in this capacity and to speak on the pressing need for every state to pass licensure for art therapists.
BATA Hill Day: Art Therapy in Ohio Advocacy Day Overview
By Molly Kometiani | January 4, 2018 | Advocacy | Events
The Buckeye Art Therapy Association (BATA) hosted Art Therapy in Ohio Advocacy Day on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. It was a powerful, motivating, and exciting day for Buckeye art therapists and the community!