Jan. 18, 2024
The American Art Therapy Association represents a diversity of professionals, students, and organizations across the nation. We recognize and celebrate the work of our members at all levels through our Featured Member series.
Join Andrea Davis along with other presenters in AATA’s upcoming virtual CE series on Supervision. On February 6, 2024, Andrea along with David Gussak will discuss the benefits of establishing approaches and strategies to support and nurture existing art therapy clinical supervisors. Register here.
“By prioritizing support and nurturing of art therapy supervisors, the entire art therapy community benefits, leading to improved therapeutic practices and client outcomes.”
— Andrea Davis, MA, ATR-BC, ATCS, LPC-S-AT
Tell us about your involvement with AATA? What keeps you excited about the AATA community?
I am a volunteer with AATA. My art therapy mentors, Linda McCarley and Anita Mester were very active with AATA and ATCB respectively. Following their example, I have enjoyed participating in varied aspects of work such as Honors Committee work, Art SIG, and reading conference proposals
Andrea Davis with her colleagues from
Dallas Art Therapy
What excites (or inspires) you most about your job right now?
What excites me most right now is developing and implementing programming that expands access to care for the community. This year we are launching a special project with a grant from Meow Wolf Foundation for veterans in North Texas to experience art therapy.
Has working with a particular client group shaped your professional focus or specialty? What have you learned from working with these clients?
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with diverse client groups, but a significant part of my professional focus has been shaped by my experiences at Dallas Art Therapy, a 501(c)3 organization that I founded in August 2017.
At Dallas Art Therapy, I have been dedicated to providing free access to art therapy for underserved populations. This commitment has fueled my passion for addressing the mental health needs of individuals who may face barriers to accessing therapeutic services.
“Roma at Work.” Sept. 2023
Watercolor, contour drawing
Roma is captured staying attuned to a client who is looking through fabrics during art therapy.
.
About Andrea Davis, MA, ATR-BC, ATCS, LPC-S-AT
Andrea Davis, with 18 years of clinical experience, is a devoted art therapist and supervisor. She has held leadership roles such as a two-term president of the North Texas Art Therapy Association and a three-year tenure as AATA’s Honors Chairperson. Actively engaged at a national level, she contributes to the Art Therapy Credentialing Board’s National Exam Development and Standard Setting Committee and reviews conference proposal submissions for the AATA Conference Committee.
Beyond her organizational roles, Davis is a published author, contributing chapters to key books on counseling ethics and pediatric medical art therapy. Notably, she authored “Professional and Ethical Use of Expressive Arts” in the 2017 Routledge publication, and her recent chapter, “Art Supplies and Infection Control: The Tools of Our Trade,” is featured in the 2021 book “Pediatric Medical Art Therapy” by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
In her leisure, Andrea has showcased her artistic talents by creating murals in Dallas, contributing to the CIDMA Museum in Corleone, Sicily, and most recently displaying an art quilt celebrating 10 years of survivorship from cancer at the McKesson Corporate Learning Center in Irving, TX.
Stay in touch with Andrea via her websites: Dallas Art Therapy and Davis Art Therapy and Counseling