April 8, 2024
As we kick off Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, join us for a session that delves into the rich and varied experiences of immigrants on Tuesday, April 30, 7 – 9pm ET. Register here.
Understanding belonging—a crucial aspect of our identity, well-being, and connections with others—becomes particularly complex amid global migration and the ever-evolving social, cultural, and political landscapes. Our speaker, Winnie Wong, will bring to light the personal stories, challenges, and hopes of Hong Kongers who have moved to the United Kingdom, as they navigate their changing relationships with home.
Pen, Crystal Bracelet and Furniture: Exploring the Complexities of Belonging and Well-being, a session hosted by Tsz Yan Winnie Wong, MAATC, ATR-BC, LPC, invites art therapists to engage with the historical, cultural, social, and political contexts that shape the lived experiences of both our clients and ourselves.
In this session, Winnie will share how personal objects, such as a pen, crystal bracelet, or storage hard drive, carried by these individuals on their journeys, serve as focal points to unravel their complex emigration stories in their unique sociocultural contexts.
Alongside her interviews with the participating Hong Kongers, she delves into the art of papermaking, a creative and reflective process that not only uncovers the nuanced insights deeply resonant with their experiences but also intertwines with her evolving understanding of the concept of home.
In addition to her research, Winnie will share examples of how personal objects and stories have been utilized in community-based creative initiatives during the pandemic and the 2020 US election, fostering a sense of interdependence and resilience in uncertain times.
Participants will leave with a better understanding of the emergent themes and practical implications of Winnie’s research; including embracing cultural heterogeneity, creating space for ambivalence and non-belonging, and fostering “Emergent Well-being”—a strategy that centers the unique perspectives of emigrants navigating their identities and experiences.
We hope you’ll join us April 30th for this continuing education virtual, live event! If you are unable to attend on April 30, all virtual learning sessions are available on-demand for 30 days. Whether attending live or on-demand, all attendees may receive 2 CE credits. Registration fees are $52 for AATA members and $82 for non-members. The event is free for all AATA student members. Not a member? Join or renew today here.
About the Presenter
Tsz Yan Winnie Wong, MAATC, ATR-BC, LPC, is a Registered Board-Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, an EMDR-trained clinician, supervisor, educator, researcher, and artist. Winnie‘s research centers on cultural identities and trauma recovery in art therapy practice. Her art practice examines belonging and connection and is presented through participatory art and site-specific installations, with her recent work exploring emigration and home through papermaking.
With over 14 years of diverse experience spanning institutions and communities in Singapore, India, Hong Kong, Winnie currently practices at YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. There, she applies anti-oppressive frameworks rooted in critical feminisms and relational-cultural theory, offering trauma-informed art therapy to survivors of sexual violence across all age groups.
(Learn more about Winnie Wong in her Featured Member profile here.)