Reproductive choice is a personal decision. Taking away the right to exercise bodily autonomy in making life-changing decisions—and placing decision-making authority with lawmakers rather than health care providers—will have profound mental and physical health consequences that impact families and communities, especially those most disadvantaged in society.

Don't miss the opportunity to secure your spot in our limited capacity conference sessions. Our 6 Half-Day and 7 All-Day Advanced Practice Courses and 22 workshops are filling up fast! Early Bird Registration ends on July 22. Early Bird registrants have access to the lowest conference rates, and will also receive a coupon for a free pad of high-quality watercolor paper to be picked up at the conference.

Last month, the New York legislature passed A1171A, requiring private insurance companies to cover mental health services. This bill would make it possible for services by LCATs to be reimbursed by insurance—a huge step forward in achieving parity between art therapy and other mental health professions in the state. 

Now, the bill goes to the governor of New York for her signature. We need to act now to ensure that Governor Kathy Hochul signs the bill into law in its current form.

The final session, The Journey of Advancing the Field, will be held Wednesday, July 13, from 7-8 p.m. EST. Long-time art therapy practitioners will give insight into their careers and cover everything from advocacy work to how the field might respond to the current post-pandemic mental health crisis. The webinar is free and open to everyone.

Is your studio or workplace looking to stock up on art supplies for the summer? AATA is offering high-quality watercolor paper from AEM HI Arts for nearly 50% off at $200/case plus shipping. (Each case contains 20 pads of 30 – 11”x15” sheets, 140# cold press.) AATA members receive an additional 10% discount while supplies last! 

This special issue, Resilience and Transformation: Reflections on 2020, is now available online. Also be sure to read Editor in Chief Dr. Jordan Potash’s editorial and introduction.

The American Art Therapy Association is greatly saddened by the death of Vija B. Lusebrink, Ph.D., ATR-BC, HLM, Professor Emeritus University of Louisville. Vija will be remembered as a visionary—passionate about art therapy, neuroscience, and the development of the Expressive Therapies Continuum. We were pleased to recognize her as an AATA Honorary Lifetime Member in 1995. She has served as an inspiration for many of our members through her teaching, writing, and research. She will be greatly missed, but she leaves behind a profound impact on our community.

I incorporate race, diversity, and social justice into all of the work I do. One of my goals in becoming an art therapist is to create space for people American psychology has historically discriminated against. I believe that diversity can and should be incorporated into everything an art therapist does. 

“When you are creating art, you are freeing yourself,” says Bose Krishnamachari, painter, curator and co-founder of the Kochi Biennale Foundation. “As an artist, I would say that when I am working, I am in my space. Being yourself is one of the most beautiful things.”

“The theme of the project is reemergence and awakening,” said Aimee Jette, executive director of Art in Common. “Everything is different now. As a society, we are re-establishing our norms as we emerge from isolation and attempt to restore and connect with ourselves and our communities.”

An art project at a rehabilitation hospital in Philadelphia is inspiring patients every time they "look up."

“Art helps unlock those parts of us that have been tucked away since we were seven or eight years old, and it shows us who we are, what makes us happy and who we're meant to be,” Siddiqi explained. “When we find out what that is, then we can finally align that with our work — and that makes our companies more productive.”

A recent partnership between Challenge America and the Aspen Art Museum will facilitate the rollout of arts education to almost 6,000 veterans across the United States and 17 countries.

[The University of North Texas’] Counseling and Testing Services (CTS) is hosting in-person art therapy workshops for students every Tuesday through Aug. 23 after being online for almost four consecutive semesters.