January 26, 2024 | By Jordan Potash, PhD, ATR-BC, REAT, LCPAT (MD) LCAT (MD), Editor in Chief of Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy
2023 was a milestone year for Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. First, and in a fitting tribute of our journal’s 40th volume, it was recognized with an impact factor of 1.3 in 2023 by Clarviate—putting Art Therapy on par with other social science journals that are hybrid research and practice, as well as competitive with other journals closely aligned with our profession.
The steady increase of the journal’s ranking means that Art Therapy offers a crucial voice for promoting the value of art therapy as a significant contributor to health and mental health as well as community development. Just take a look at the most read journal articles from last year:
Top 5 Most Read Journal Articles of 2023
- Power-From-Within: Somatic Art Therapy With an LGBTQIA+ Teenager
Rivkah (Rebecca) Hetherington & Luna
- Creating Through COVID: Virtual Art Therapy for Youth Resettled as Refugees
Holly Feen-Calligan, Lana Ruvolo Grasser, Jessica Smigels, Natalie McCabe, Breanna Kremer, Alaa Al-Zuwayyin, Ismail Yusuf, Noor Alesawy, Jenna Al-Nouri & Arash Javanbakht
- The Effect of Art Therapy (Mandala Coloring) on the Attention Level of Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Zahra Borzabadi Farahani, Abolfazl Rahgoi, Masoud Fallahi-Khoshknab & Samaneh Hosseinzadeh
- Effects of Clay Art Therapy on Emotion Regulation and Hair Cortisol Concentration for Youth With Emotional Problems
Joshua Kin-man Nan, Xiao Shan Huang & Man Ying Kang
- A Structured Observation Framework for Evaluating Clients’ Inner Change During and After Art Therapy
Gärd Holmqvist & Cristina Lundqvist-Persson
These publications represent the wide scope of what the journal offers – research, integrated theories, case studies, and practice innovations. We have continued to see our readership increase – as represented by a 49% increase from 2019 to 2022.Building on this acclaim, in 2024, I along with our team of associate editors and peer reviewers are looking forward to another year of expanding our readership and the breadth of topics covered by our authors.
An All-Digital Journal
This year, we are transitioning to an all-digital journal. Increasingly, academic journals are becoming digital to make research more accessible, as well as ensure their own sustainability. Journals and publications pay a significant amount financially for printing, binding, and fulfilment costs—not to mention the environmental impact of the paper. This shift will afford new opportunities for article styles, options for how to present content, multimedia features, and other innovations. What will stay the same is the quality of the publication. And for those who still prefer a print version, readers can purchase the full volume (all four issues) in a bound book.
Introducing our Editor Designee
There is one more important update for 2024. I’m eager to introduce you to the newly appointed Editor Designee, Emily Goldstein Nolan, DAT, ATR-BC, LPC, LCAT. Emily will be the journal’s next Editor-in-Chief when my term ends at the end of this year. Emily has served as Associate Editor for Book Reviews since 2018 and brings experience as a published author herself. We will work closely together over this year to ensure a smooth transition when Emily formally takes over on January 1, 2025.
Thank you for your support as volunteers, authors, and readers during the 40 years of our journal—and I look forward to what’s next in the 40 years to come!