AATA Blog
Ashes2Art: First Responders 9/11 Art Show
By Clara Keane | September 20, 2018 | Events
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s (FCFRD) Behavioral Health Section in collaboration with local artist Kathy Sullivan offer the Ashes2Art Program for first responders. According to the FCFRD, the weekly art class “allows participants to employ the unique creative abilities of emergency personnel directed in new ways.” This month, to honor the victims and survivors of 9/11, participants of Ashes2Art displayed their work at the Reston Art Gallery & Studios.
Virginia Board of Health Professions Votes to Recommend Licensure for Art Therapists to the Governor and Legislature
By Clara Keane | August 30, 2018 | Advocacy
On August 23, 2018 the Virginia Board of Health Professions (BHP) voted to recommend licensure for art therapists in the state of Virginia. Following years of advocacy work and a full year in the formal sunrise review process, a group of art therapists gathered to witness history unfold in the field of art therapy. After the BHP’s Regulatory Research Committee made their final recommendations and “concluded that all criteria [for state regulation] were met,” the Committee voted unanimously to “adopt a separate license for Art Therapists to practice in Virginia.”
Chapter Projects Funded by the 2017 Government Affairs Committee Grants
By Clara Keane | July 5, 2018 | Advocacy
Each year, the Government Affairs Committee (GAC) awards grants to chapters to help support their legislative goals. In 2017, grants were awarded to three chapters, the Southern California Art Therapy Association (SoCalATA), the Arizona Art Therapy Association (AzATA), and the Michigan Association of Art Therapy (MAAT).
Art Therapists Make the Case for Regulation in Virginia
By Clara Keane | June 28, 2018 | Advocacy | Events
On the morning of June 26, 2018, fifteen art therapists gathered for an open comment hearing during a meeting of the Virginia Board of Health Professions (BHP) to speak to the need to regulate art therapy to protect the public. The PHP’s initial draft report was positive, acknowledging the potential harm to the public if art therapy remains unregulated.
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.