AATA Blog

Featured Member: Saba Harouni Lurie (she/her/hers)

Featured Member: Saba Harouni Lurie (she/her/hers)

I identify as queer and pansexual, and pride month feels deeply personal and complex. While it’s exciting to see pride images everywhere, I am also critical of the intention when it seems that corporations and businesses are pandering to the LGBTQIA+ community during this time of the year and potentially supporting anti-queer and anti-trans legislation the rest of the year. I am all for representation and visibility and would like it to be authentic and uplifting all year round.

Juneteenth 2022

Juneteenth 2022

This Sunday, June 19th, is a celebration of freedom to be recognized by all Americans. On June 19, 1865, more than 2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally received word that they were free from slavery and for the first time recognized as citizens of the United States. 

Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Space for LGBTQIA+ Clients

Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Space for LGBTQIA+ Clients

June 16, 2022 | Michael Galarraga (he/him) Pride month commemorates the Stonewall riots that occurred at the end of June 1969 in NYC. These riots were a call to action, a fight, and more importantly, a movement to increase inclusivity and equity for LGBTQIA+ people,...

Pride Month 2022: LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources

Pride Month 2022: LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources

As we enter Pride Month, the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) would like to stress the importance of accessible mental health care for the LGBTQ+ community. Art therapists, as mental health professionals, strive to provide a sense of safety and openness to their clients, especially those vulnerable to stigma and discrimination.

Whether you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community or have LGBTQ+ clients, peers, friends, and family, we encourage you to check out and share the following resources.

Americans for the Arts 2022 Annual Convention Recap

Americans for the Arts 2022 Annual Convention Recap

Being a non-profit professional with a bachelor’s degree in Arts for Social Change, I was excited to have the opportunity to attend this convention as a representative of the American Art Therapy Association and participate in key discussions regarding the crossroads of the arts and social justice.

Featured Member: Makiko Harada (Young)

Featured Member: Makiko Harada (Young)

May 19, 2022

As a Tokyo-born art therapist, I am inspired and motivated by the hate [against Asians] to offer lectures and educate the art therapy community on what we can do about it.

The Cyclical Nature of Mental Health in AANHPI Communities

The Cyclical Nature of Mental Health in AANHPI Communities

Amplifying silenced voices in the AANHPI communities through discovery, exploration, and engagement with art therapy is a stride in itself. We can take the taboo of mental health and reconstruct our community into one that is inclusive, open, welcoming, and, above all, filled with understanding.

Featured Member: Jie Shen

Featured Member: Jie Shen

May 5, 2022
In my own response to art, I have written many Chinese poems about myself, my family, and my responses during or after art therapy sessions. My personal art has shifted through many phases, from using bamboo strolls, wires, paint, and magazines. As a collage artist right now, my biggest challenge for honoring my heritage is finding magazines, or collage materials that have AAPI faces.

Why Licensing Matters to the Future of Art Therapy as a Profession

Why Licensing Matters to the Future of Art Therapy as a Profession

For a long while, even before art therapists first became licensed anywhere in the US, art therapists have been debating the value of professional licensure. Many of us who have been professionals in the field for more than 10 years most likely had to pursue an alternative license such as licensed professional counselor (LPC) or licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) to work providing mental health counseling in most states. If you already hold a license as an art therapist, LPC, or LMFT, you may not realize or be personally affected by the changes—particularly in the counseling profession—that will very soon lock art therapists out of gaining an LPC. Similar changes are coming regarding the LMFT license as well. Whether you are personally affected or not, your attention must be on these changes for the long-term sustainability of the profession. We need to think about those in education programs now and future art therapists.

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