AATA Blog
Creative Healing Spaces: Healing From Racial Wounds
February 24, 2020 | Lindsey Vance
Growing up in a community that did not speak of mental health care or seeing a therapist, this idea of a career path was foreign to me. Explaining to my family that I was going to be an Art Therapist was even more so confusing, however I went on to be one. The privilege to work in various clinical and community-based settings afforded me the opportunity to recognize that I was not alone in my childhood stigma of misunderstanding and distrust for psychotherapy, but rather various clients of color shared this same belief.
Framing Race in the Context of Art Therapy
February 20, 2020 | Cheryl Doby-Copeland
The 400th anniversary of the arrival in America of the first enslaved people from West Africa validated my interest in the generational impact of racial trauma. The New York Times Magazine 1619 Project galvanized me to consider how historical racial trauma has not been a primary treatment consideration in my client caseload.
New Spiritual Art Therapy Research Scholarship: Meet Dr. Horovitz
February 13, 2020 | Ellen Horovitz
My intention for this scholarship is to aid a promising practitioner or student in his/her/their pursuit of expanding the field of Spiritual Art Therapy as it relates to mind/body practices. Spiritual Art Therapy has expanded broadly since my 1994 publication and is now in its 3rd edition. Because my current work now incorporates my training as a certified yoga therapist, applications for this award might incorporate somatics as it relates to therapy and mind/body centering.
Blog Series: Breaking the Chains of Racial Trauma in Therapy
February 13, 2020 | Gwendolyn Short
In recognition of Black History Month, it’s my pleasure to introduce this blog series building on the topics covered during the “Breaking the Chains of Racial Trauma” plenary panel I moderated at AATA’s 50th conference in Kansas City in November of 2019! If you were in attendance, this is an excellent opportunity to revisit the content, and I’m honored to present it to others for the first time.
Unpacking the So-Called Art Therapist Character in “Parasite”
February 12, 2020 | Clara Keane
“Parasite” made history during the 2020 Oscars, winning four awards and becoming the first non-English-language film to win best picture, the Academy’s highest honor. This acclaimed playful yet dark satire thriller takes a microscope to two families on opposite ends of the social class spectrum in urban South Korea. Their paths become intertwined when Kim Ki-woo begins tutoring English to the daughter of the wealthy Park family.
Promoting Awareness for Art Therapy with Faber-Castell® USA
January 30, 2020
Faber-Castell® USA is collaborating with the AATA to spread awareness for art therapy. “We believe in creativity for life, from childhood through adulthood, and share in the American Art Therapy Association’s commitment to expand access to mental health through art-making,” their webpage states.
Art Therapy Legislation to Watch in 2020
January 2, 2020
As most state legislatures prepare to begin their 2020 legislative sessions in January, we wanted to share some bills to watch this year and also recap the art therapy victories and advancements of 2019!
Featured Member: Meet AATA’s New President Margaret Carlock-Russo, EdD, LCAT, ATR-BC, ATCS
January 2, 2020
As we step into the New Year, we wanted to hear from the AATA’s new President Margaret Carlock Russo, EdD, LCAT, ATR-BC, ATCS about the year to come for our association and also take the opportunity to learn a bit more about Margaret as a clinician and an advocate for the field.
The Year in Review: AATA Achievements and Highlights of 2019
December 19, 2019
As we prepare to head into the next decade, we’d like to take this opportunity to take stock and reflect on what we have accomplished collectively as a profession in this 50th year of our association’s life. We’ve made remarkable gains in legislative goals and public awareness for the profession as well as significant improvements and expansions in membership experience and programmatic offerings. Let’s look back together at the accomplishments of the past year!
Featured Member: Barbara Fish, PhD, ATR-BC, ATCS, LCPC, 2019 Honorary Life Member
December 18, 2019
“My advice for the next generation of art therapists is the same as the advice that was given to me. Use the tools that you offer to others to guide your own path. By employing our own creative process as a resource in our lives, we can understand the personal challenges and rewards of self-investigation. Without our ongoing personal practice, our requests for client involvement in image making can fall flat. I encourage art therapists to use their imaginations to explore, expanding the potential and public awareness of art therapy.”