Community
Join the International Shared Interest Group. Meet Global Art Therapists During our Virtual Meetings
Attention AATA members interested in international art therapy work or for those who identify as international members or students: Join us April 5!
Integrating Art Therapy in Museums: Bridging the Gap between Isolation to Community Connection
The museum visit, paired with art-making, provides participants with an elevation of their museum experience, especially those who report rarely making or creating art themselves. What I have observed through my project on integrating art therapy in a museum was how connecting different community members over art-making fosters group cohesion as a sense of belonging in a museum.
First Open-Air Clay Art Studio for Community Members Affected by the Marshal, Co., Fire
In response to the fire that quickly spread to several townships destroying 1,084 structures, the Naropa University graduate art therapy program with its 21-year-old Naropa Community Art Studio (NCAS) and community partners launched its first Open Air Clay Art Studio. Fifty people from across the developmental spectrum, divided into two groups, participated in the event.
Art Therapy is Particularly Effective in Times of Crisis
September 24, 2020
In the survey, we asked respondents: “As an art therapist, how would you describe to someone unfamiliar with the profession why art therapy is uniquely suited to support mental health during this pandemic?” The survey takers explained that art therapy is particularly effective during times of crisis, especially in coping with isolation, changes in circumstance, trauma, and grief.
My First Art Therapy Job, at a Homeless Shelter, during a Pandemic
September 24, 2020 | By Jenelle Hallaert
Due to the inherent technological barriers that come with housing insecurity, all sessions with the guests are in-person — putting both the guests and myself at constant risk of contracting COVID-19. Even with these risks, the mental health services provided to our guests are essential for their wellbeing. Overall, the shelter has continued care as usual for this population.
Mental Health Policy Implications during the Coronavirus Pandemic
August 24, 2020
While the results of this survey of art therapists capture a particular moment during the Coronavirus pandemic—when 95% of Americans were under some sort of stay-at-home policy—the findings remain relevant as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise. We hope that these results will help inform how lawmakers address the ongoing mental health ramifications of the pandemic and better support mental health professionals.
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.
Ask Me Anything! Featuring Dr. Cheryl Doby-Copeland
March 6, 2019 | #WeAreArtTherapists
Cheryl Doby-Copeland, PhD, ATR-BC, LPC, LMFT, HLM joins us at the AATA National Office to answer your questions, and talk about her perspectives on art therapy practice, addressing diversity, working with trauma, and more.
AATA Conference Attendees Send Stars of HOPE Following the Tallahassee Yoga Studio Shooting
January 3, 2019 | By Stephanie Wray
Every year at the annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association, attendees are invited to create artwork in the open studio — a wonderful way to step back and process during the intensive days of learning. At the 2018 conference held in Miami, attendees were invited to join Stars of HOPE, USA in painting 12-inch wooden stars with a message of hope.
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.