Now that the unofficial last day of summer has passed, it’s time to focus on fall activities. The first two days (Oct. 23 and 24) of the AATA’s 52nd Annual Conference, Reconnecting and Visualizing Future Pathways for Art Therapy in a Diverse Society, is just 6 weeks away! 

 

The program offers more than 100 hours of educational sessions that you can access on the actual conference day/s, and/or on-demand. (Only the sessions listed in the program on the day/s of your registration are the sessions that will be included in your on-demand library.) View the full program, including four exciting plenary sessions, and register today!

AATA’s National Office is looking for interns to support our work, including helping with the Art Therapy Today newsletter content and production, designing graphics for digital marketing, assisting with events, and member services. We are looking for currently enrolled graduate students with exceptional communications skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple projects. Interns are expected to contribute a minimum of 6-10 hours per week, based on a flexible schedule.

For more information, or to apply, contact Yasmin Elian at yelian@arttherapy.org with a resume and cover letter.

All our students have endured immense worry throughout this pandemic, for their own safety, the health of their loved ones, and for their families’ economic security. Some of my students have contracted the virus, persisting even through synchronous remote lessons that they didn’t want to miss while they were sick. Some have lost loved ones to the virus. Some have lost their homes or their family’s income. Some have needed to put their education on hold to focus on work and emotional survival. Overall, our enrollment has remained strong. In the remote and the socially distanced classroom, I noticed students social relationships have been stunted. Where our students were usually very close and supportive of each other from day one of the term, it’s taken longer for them to get to know each other and form those bonds that can be so sustaining and helpful throughout life.

Art therapist Judy Rubin’s exclusive arts therapy film collection is now available in Expressive Media’s new online Film Library. It provides instant access to over 125 films about the arts in healing, including individual, family, and group therapy sessions, as well as conference presentations. Expressive Media is offering a special launch rate for All-Access annual subscriptions through Sept. 30 and AATA members receive an additional 20% discount!

 

(Log in to MyAATA and click on the Professional Development link for this and other discount codes.) 

AUDIO: "Atlanta artist and social worker Franco Bejarano’s portraits capture something commonly in sight, but rarely truly seen. His life-size drawings of Atlantans experiencing homelessness bring attention to the individuality, abilities, and ongoing journeys of these members of the community. Bejarano also works to house homeless clients, contributes to art therapy programs working with the homeless, and has a passion for mental health advocacy."

"Rabbi Adina Allen and Jeff Kasowitz co-founded the Jewish Studio Project (JSP) in 2015...The couple initially experimented with merging beit midrash, or communal learning practices, with what would become the organization’s signature “studio process.” The process combines art therapy practices as developed by Allen’s mother, Pat, an expert in the field, with Jewish text-based learning. The overarching goal was to form a spiritual community where everyone’s creativity comes to the surface in a supportive and safe environment."

"Davis & Elkins College students will have the opportunity to learn how to use their creative talents to make a difference in the lives of others. Beginning this fall, the College will offer a minor in pre-art therapy that will combine practical arts and immersive learning through a collaboration with The Old Brick Playhouse."

"The University of Kansas Libraries, in collaboration with the Spencer Museum of Art, will open a new exhibition in Kenneth Spencer Research Library on Aug. 23. 'Mary Huntoon: Artist & Art Therapist' features collection objects from both KU Libraries and the Spencer Museum."

"Certified Art Instructor and Therapist, Jacy Warrick, will be introducing several new and returning art workshops during the upcoming semester at Richland Academy. The Teen Self-Esteem Workshop is meant to give teens an avenue through which they can express themselves while creating a unique self-portrait."

VIDEO: "Did you know that art and music therapy can help you live your best life with MS? In this week’s edition of Ask an MS Expert, we welcome Meera Rastogi, PhD, MAAT, ATR-BC, GCP, professor of psychology at the University of Cincinnati; Veronica DeNoma, social worker at the Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis; and Betsey Hartman, music therapist, and host Jon Strum, to discuss this unique tool to manage MS. Learn how art and music therapy can impact cognitive and motor function, self-esteem and neurological function, and see a live demonstration!"

"In early 2019, Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions and Johns Hopkins University’s International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) formed a collaboration to examine how art therapy can be integrated into virtual reality-based expression to enhance patient care. Some of the latest research conducted through this collaboration focused on the benefits of virtual reality (VR) on creative expression, with the inclusion of a fragrance stimulus."

"MPS Art Therapy presents Cathy Hyland Moon, MA, ATR-BC, who will give this year’s Valery Daniels Memorial Lecture. In this virtual lecture, Moon will discuss how racial inequality and pandemics have received renewed attention in the U.S. over the past year and a half. What lessons have we learned from these social and public health crises, and how do we translate lessons learned into actions aimed at healthcare justice?"

"As an art therapist for Texas Children’s Art Therapy Program, I spend a great deal of time helping our patients and families cope and adjust to their hospital experience. Some of our patients are here for a few days while others are here for a longer period of time. Since joining the team three years ago, my primary focus has been to create a positive experience for my patients and their families during their hospital stay."

"For eight years, 16-year-old Hlomla Sithole has been coming from his home in Hillbrow in Johannesburg to attend afternoon programmes at the Lefika la Phodiso Community Art Counselling and Training Institute near Constitution Hill."