Upcoming Events
Undergraduate Subcommittee Meeting
Dec. 4, 7-8pm ET
The AATA Undergraduate Education Sub-Commitee is hosting a virtual event to discuss the Draft Pre-Art Therapy Guidelines on Wednesday, December 4th from 7-8 PM, EST. We are seeking public comments from the art therapy community. A link to our survey and draft is available here.
Our goal is to provide a resource for undergraduate art therapy educators, students, and school administrators as the presence of undergraduate programs in the United States continues to grow. Please register and share your feedback with our working group. Register to attend.
Point of contact: Heather Denning, Sub-Committee Chair
International SIG Meeting:
Global Art Therapy with Regional Cultural Sensitivity
Dec. 6, 9-10am ET
International SIG meetings serve as an invaluable platform for members like yourself to network, exchange ideas, contribute, and explore new avenues of collaboration. These meetings are open to all AATA members interested in international art therapy work, for those who identify as international members or students, or simply to anyone interested in gaining fresh perspectives through interaction with membership on issues relevant to our field.
All-Member Meeting:
Annual Meeting of the Membership
Dec. 17, 8pm ET
Join us for our sixth All-Member Meeting (also known as the Annual Meeting of the Membership), Dec. 17, 8pm ET! The annual President’s Report and Treasurer’s Report will be presented with an opportunity to ask questions of the leadership and National Staff. Nadia Paredes will also provide updates on the strategic plan for 2025 – 2027.
Stay tuned for upcoming events in 2024! Sign up for Art Therapy Today, our bi-weekly newsletter.
2024 At a Glance
All Member Meetings
- February 28, 8-9:30pm ET
- April 24, 8-9:30pm ET
- June 26, 8-9:30pm ET
- September 25, 7:30-9:30pm ET
- November 27, 8-9:30pm ET
- December 17, 8-9:30pm ET
State and Local Chapter Meetings
By invite only
- January 10
- March 13
- May 8
- August 14
- October (to be held in-person during AATA2024)
- December 11
Committee Chair Meetings
By invite only
- February 14
- April 10
- June 12
- September 11
- November 13
Past Events
DEI Training for AATA Volunteer Leaders
September 12, 2024, 7:30pm ET
Invitation Only
In conjunction with the All Member Meeting training and discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), to be held on Sept. 25, Sharon Newport will be offering our AATA volunteer leaders—including Board members, Committee Chairs, and Chapter leaders—a special session. In this training, she will explore the most promising DEI practices within associations. AATA’s goal is to help support our amazing volunteer leaders in their leadership journeys, with the hope of cultivating a pipeline for future leaders of the association. This event is scheduled for September 12, and the National Office will be sending out invitations shortly.
Mexican Huipil-Making and Photoembroidery to Find Connection: Integrating Textiles, Photo and Embroidery in Clinical Practice
September 24, 2024, 7pm ET
In this virtual Continuing Education session hosted by Gabriela Osorio Fajardo, MTFS, MTA, participants will learn how to begin their own art piece or a traditional Mexican huipil by exploring five key questions that deepen the symbolism behind stitches and colors. We will also examine various examples of embroidery and textile-based activities, discussing how each can be integrated into clinical practice.
Registration fees are $52 for AATA members and $82 for non-members. The session is FREE for AATA student members! Attendees may receive 2 CE credits.
All Member Meeting:
Evolving Our Culture with DEI Lenses
September 25, 2024, 7:30pm ET
Join us for our virtual All-Member Meeting to hear about AATA2024, what you can expect for the conference, and more. Connect with other members and make art together!
Transformational change expert Sharon Newport will also conduct a CE-eligible session, Evolving Our Culture with DEI Lenses, during the first half of the All-Member Meeting. We will self-reflect on our own lived experiences and explore how to align our values toward building a stronger culture with DEI lenses. The event is free for AATA members.
Belonging is Being Seen
Virtual Session
August 27, 2024, 7PM ET
Join Magdalena V. Karlick, M.A., Phd-c, ATR-BC, LPCC, for a 2-hour Continuing Education session expanding on her 2023 blog post “Belonging Is Being Seen.” We will explore the experience of belonging and some of the factors that limit this internal and interpersonal experience. We will discuss inclusivity as it relates to representation, language use, and nervous system regulation. Magdalena will also use somatic awareness techniques and art supplies to explore our felt sense of belonging. Learn more.
AATA2024 Ask-Me-Anything
Virtual Session
June 18, 2024, 8PM ET
AATA Conference Chair Carolyn Brown Treadon and AATA President-Elect Raquel Farrell-Kirk will be there to answer your questions about the in-person conference, from who you will meet (art therapists and students from around the world, as well as educators and researchers) to what to wear (conference hotels are always cold!)!
Ethics Virtual Session 3
Beyond the Breach: Strategies for Responding to Confidentiality Crises
May 28, 7 – 9 PM ET
The third session, Beyond the Breach: Strategies for Responding to Confidentiality Crises, will be hosted by Traci Bitondo PhD, LPC, LPAT, ATR-BC, ACS, ATCS on May 28.
Ethics Virtual Session 2
Same, Same But Different—Exploring and
Comparing Art Therapy History, Education, and
Practice in the US and India
May 14, 7 – 9 PM ET
The second session will be presented on May 14: Same, Same But Different—Exploring and Comparing Art Therapy History, Education, and Practice in the US and India. Aishwerya K. Iyer ATR, MA, will share her experiences both as an art therapist in the US and as an educator in India’s first Master’s art therapy program at MIT-ADT University in Pune.
Ethics Virtual Session 1
Doing the Right Thing:
Ethics, the Law, Technology, and More
May 7, 7 – 9 PM ET
The first session of the 3-part Ethics CE series, Doing the Right Thing: Ethics, the Law, Technology, and More, will be presented by former AATA President and Honorary Lifetime Member Mercedes Ballbé ter Maat, Ph.D., LPC, ATR-BC, HLM on May 7.
Pen, Crystal Bracelet, and Furniture:
Exploring the Complexities of Belonging
and Well-being
Held on April 30, 2024
Join Tsz Yan Winnie Wong, MAATC, ATR-BC, LPC, for a session on the impact of cultural identities and sociopolitical context on individuals’ sense of belonging and well-being. Eligible for 2.0 CEU hours.
FREE for Student Members!
Watch on the AATA Online Learning Academy.
Exploring Art Therapy Groups Among African American Black Women from Research to Program Implementation,
Held on March 5, 2024
This virtual session will focus on the development and implementation of an art therapy program designed to support the mental health and wellness of African American women. The course will explore cultural challenges, help-seeking barriers and usage disparities among African American women/ Black women associated with mental health services. Students will be guided through the results of a Thematic Content Analysis of four emergent themes and engage in a culturally enriched art task.
Watch on the AATA Online Learning Academy.
3-Part Virtual Art Therapy Supervision Series
Beginning January 30, 2024
SESSION 1: Collaborative Essentials
Establishing and Fostering a Dynamic Supervisory Experience
With David Gussak, PhD, ATR-BC, HLM
SESSION 2: Synergistic Consultation
Fostering Collaborative Relationships with Current Supervisors and Mentors with David Gussak and Andrea Davis, LPC-AT-S, ATR-BC
SESSION 3: Harmonizing Perspectives
Fostering and Nourishing an Inclusive Mentoring Dynamic in Art Therapy with David Gussak and Bani Malhotra, PhD, ATR-BC
Watch on the AATA Online Learning Academy
Hosted by David Gussak, PhD, ATR-BC, HLM
Our First Ever Technology Summit!
Held on Dec. 2, 2023
Learn how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technology is transforming the art therapy profession, mental health care, and art more broadly. The Summit is divided into 7 sessions, and was held live, virtually on Dec. 2, 2023.
Plenary Panel – Aspiring for the Future of Technology in Art Therapy
Session 1 – Generative AI Art, Identities, and Attunement in Art Therapy
Session 2 – Transcending Tech Media for Art Therapy: Scanography
Session 3 – Creating the Improbable: Using Expressive Technologies like MidJourney
Session 4 – Art Therapy in the Global AI Context: Ethical Considerations
Session 5 – Creating a Strong Digital Presence Online: Professionally, Ethically, Creatively
Session 6 – AI Imageries in Art Therapy: Exploring the Intersection of Ethics, Expression, and Equity
Learn more.
Find speakers and event schedule
The Trauma Hiding in Plain Sight:
Workplace Bullying, Treatment Considerations, and a Case Example of Recovery as Seen Through the Structure of the Expressive Therapies Continuum
Held on Nov. 18, 2023
View in the AATA Online Learning Academy
“I want to invite you to a virtual session about the all-too-common trauma of workplace bullying. As an art therapist, and someone who has experienced workplace bullying first-hand, this is a critical topic to address for our clients’ sake as well as for our own, especially in light of data that indicates nearly half of people in the American workforce say they’ve experienced or witnessed bullying while in an occupational capacity.”
— Megan VanMeter
(Learn more in this blog post, Workplace Bullying Isn’t About A Mean 4th Grader on the Playground; It has Serious Consequences)
Hosted by
Megan VanMeter, ATR-BC, LPC, LMHC, LPC-AT/S
Giving Unicorns Wings: Creating Ideal Treatment Conditions and Interventions for Neurodiverse Children, Adolescents, and Adults (with autism, ADHD, and learning differences)
Held on Sept. 23, 2023
View in the AATA Online Learning Academy
Did you know that nearly a quarter of the people who enter your treatment room in the U.S. are likely to be neurodiverse and process their experiences differently than their neurotypical counterparts?
In this seminar, discover how ableism (social prejudice against people with disabilities) inflicts psychological harm on individuals with “invisible disabilities”. Explore an original art therapy social skills treatment approach designed to accept the client for who they are, create positive social feedback cycles, and stimulate social and emotional coping skill-building. You will acquire powerful skills for this cohort that has useful applications for most clinical populations, such as “Reverse Art Therapy” Social-Coping Skills Lessons, Targeted Positive Reflection, Compassionate Social Coaching, and a range of group and dyadic art therapy tasks that develop social skills. Learn more
Attendees will receive 4.0 Continuing Education Hours.
Hosted by
Michael Fogel, MA, ATR-BC, LPC
Identity, Art Therapy, and Working with the LGBTQIA Community
Held on Aug. 14, 2023
View in the AATA Online Learning Academy
Our individual identities are important to mental health and growth. This presentation will cover identity work, the intersection of layers of identity, and use of art therapy interventions to aid in working with clients in LGBTQIA+ populations. The session will incorporate the presentation of information as well as discussion, and art making elements throughout. There will be dedicated discussion on self-disclosure, terminology, and interventions for creative arts therapists to use. Learn more
Attendees will receive 2.0 Continuing Education Hours.
