AATA Blog
5 Building Blocks to Achieving Art Therapy Licensure in All 50 States
October 17, 2019 | Advocacy
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary as an association, we are seeing great momentum in our licensure effort, with a new license signed into law just last month. Over fifty years, we have reached many milestones that illustrate our mission – to advocate for expansion of access to professional art therapists and lead the nation in the advancement of art therapy as a regulated mental health and human services profession.
Breaking News: Representative Sharice Davids (KS-3) to Address Attendees at AATA’s Conference in Kansas City
October 11, 2019
We just received confirmation that Congresswoman Sharice Davids will be attending AATA’s 50th anniversary conference in Kansas City! Conference attendees, mark your schedules for a meet and greet with Rep. Davids on Saturday, November 3rd, from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm.
Nebraska Art Therapy Sunrise Review is Underway
October 3, 2019
Congratulations to the Nebraska Art Therapy Licensure Coalition for submitting their 65-page (184 including appendices!) questionnaire to initiate the sunrise review (407 Credentialing Review) by the Department of Health and Human Services to determine the need to regulate art therapy in Nebraska!
We Joined 600+ Mental Health Advocates on Capitol Hill
September 19, 2019
“Be strong, be loud, and be assertive for those you serve.” – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-6)
This week, the AATA joined the National Council of Behavioral Health and over 600 mental health advocates for Hill Day 2019! The advocacy training was packed with strategies, tips, and inspirational moments preparing advocates for meetings with their elected officials the following day.
Join Us for Hill Day 2019 with the National Council for Behavioral Health
September 5, 2019
The American Art Therapy Association is partnering with the National Council for Behavioral Health for their Hill Day in Washington, D.C. to advocate for improved federal behavioral health policy. Hone your advocacy skills during the training day Tuesday, September 17th and then let’s head to the Capitol on Wednesday, September 18th!
Highlights from the Inaugural International Art Therapy Practice/Research Conference Held in London
July 25, 2019 | International | Research | #WeAreArtTherapists
“I am proud and excited to have been part of this inaugural research and practice conference held in collaboration with the British Association of Art Therapists. I very much enjoyed the opportunity to meet and speak with art therapists from such diverse backgrounds, and I was completely impressed by depth and breadth of the research and practice occurring throughout the world. The future of art therapy is indeed bright!” – AATA President Christianne Strang, PhD, ATR-BC
Victory in Connecticut: Art Therapy License Enacted
June 27, 2019
We are proud to announce that a distinct art therapy license has been enacted in Connecticut! On June 26, 2019, Governor Ned Lamont signed the state budget, which included licensure for art therapists.
50 Years Ago Today…
June 27, 2019 | By Christianne Strang | #WeAreArtTherapists
On June 27, 1969, a group of art therapists from across the United States and Canada met in Louisville, Kentucky with the hope of making “art therapy and its relationship to mental health and education more clearly defined and further developed.” Their discussions, which lasted into the early hours of the next day, resulted in the adoption of a constitution for a new organization, the American Art Therapy Association.
Monthly Art Therapy Group Continues for Northern California Camp Fire Survivors
June 27, 2019 | By Devora Weinapple
On November 8, 2018, a wind-whipped inferno ripped through and leveled the densely populated foothill town of Paradise in less than a day. This urban firestorm, known as the Camp Fire, surpassed the worst fires to date in the state’s history, which had been those that devastated Sonoma and Mendocino Counties just in the previous fall of 2017.
The Art of Origami: An Art Therapist Explains its History and Use in Trauma Work
May 29, 2019 | Trauma |#WeAreArtTherapists |
Origami within the context of an art therapy session can have many uses, including‒but not limited to‒ helping people deal with trauma, practicing mindfulness, and even promoting sensorimotor skills or frustration tolerance. However, the art form has a history that spans back even further than the term “origami” itself. We spoke with art therapist and creator of Expressive Origami Therapy (EOT), Toshiko Kobayashi, LCAT, ATCS, ATR-BC, to get a more in-depth look into the origins of origami, as well as its past and modern role in art therapy practice.