AATA Highlights the 2019 Accomplishments of the Art Therapy Profession

2019 has been a big year for art therapy. The American Art Therapy Association summarized the accomplishments in the field this year.

The Year in Review: 

AATA Achievements and Highlights of 2019

  

December 19, 2019

As we prepare to head into the next decade, we’d like to take this opportunity to take stock and reflect on what we have accomplished collectively as a profession in this 50th year of our association’s life. We’ve made remarkable gains in legislative goals and public awareness for the profession as well as significant improvements and expansions in membership experience and programmatic offerings.

Let’s look back together at the accomplishments of the past year!

Collaborations & Public Awareness

Faber-Castell USA CEO Jamie Gallagher (second from right) attended AATA’s 50th red carpet celebration during the 2019 conference in Kansas City. From left: then AATA President Dr. Christianne Strang, Director of Events and Education Barbara Florence, Board Member Gretchen Miller, and Executive Director Cynthia Woodruff, and Faber-Castell USA Artist Franz Spohn.

As the nation’s leading voice for art therapy, we work to educate lawmakers and the public on the power of art therapy.

• We celebrated our 50th Anniversary Year with a year-long campaign to celebrate the history and look to the future of our profession. Read the wrap-up here and check out our 55th collaborative video!
• This year we continued to foster partnerships with shared goals in public awareness and fundraising. The AATA started relationships with Faber-Castell USA (check out their webpage and AATA member Carol Olson’s blog post “Art Therapy 101: Sorting Facts from Myths”). You may have even met the CEO Jamie Gallagher at conference in Kansas City! Also in 2019, the AATA joined National Parks Service’s Healthy Parks Healthy People initiative. We hosted the webinar “Bringing Art Therapy into the National Parks” with over thirty national parks in attendance. The AATA is now working with NPS on pilot art therapy programs following the positive response to this webinar.
• We are always looking for creative new ways to spread awareness about the field. In March we released our very first Ask Me Anything featuring Cheryl Doby-Copeland.
• We love highlighting the life-enhancing work our members do every day through our Featured Member series! This year the Journal of Pain & Systems Management will expand awareness of this work by sharing artwork by 12 of AATA’s 2019 Featured Members as the cover art for each journal issue in 2020.
• The AATA continues to issue regular content through our Blog, News, and newsletter, Art Therapy Today as well as our social media platforms. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

State Legislative Victories & Accreditation Milestones

Art therapists in Connecticut testify before the Joint Committee on Public Health on February 11, 2019.

This year we worked with our local advocates and volunteers to introduce more art therapy legislation than ever before and took a more active role advocating at the federal level for access to mental health care and the arts.

• The increased momentum in our licensure success continues! This momentum builds on the dedicated work of so many throughout the AATA’s history. In an October blog post, “5 Building Blocks to Achieving Art Therapy Licensure in All 50 States,” we review some of the milestones that made our licensure strategy possible today and outline our approach to licensure in detail.
• It’s hard to keep up with all the action in the states, so we’ve made it easy by creating a Legislative News category on our News page where you can scroll through the updates. Here are the key legislative events from 2019:
  • This year art therapists in Connecticut achieved independent licensure! The Clinical Licensed Art Therapist (CLAT) is already being issued by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
  • Bills making legislative fixes to education requirements in existing art therapy licenses were enacted in Maryland and Oregon.
  • Art therapy legislation was introduced in 14 states during the 2019 legislative sessions, including eight bills for independent art therapy licensure (CT, DC, IA, MA, NH, PA, TN, and OH).
• Our momentum in obtaining external accreditation also continues to grow. The first 12 art therapy graduate programs have received initial accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Ten of the programs received accreditation in 2019, and we look forward to announcing more in 2020. The transition from approval through the AATA’s Educational Programs Approval Board (EPAB) to accreditation through CAAHEP has been years in the making, and it’s great to see these results! In addition to further professionalizing art therapy programs, the availability of third party accreditation has prompted several institutions to create graduate programs in art therapy, expanding access to education in the field.

Strides in Federal Advocacy

Christopher Stowe, Master Gunnery Sergeant, USMC (ret.); Cynthia Woodruff, AATA Executive Director; and Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch.

While our top priorities, licensure and reimbursement for art therapists, occur at the state level where we focus our legislative efforts, we also stay apprised of federal mental health and arts issues. We advocate with our collaborators and coalitions for improved mental health and arts policies.

• In February of this year, Christopher Stowe Master Gunnery Sergeant, USMC (ret.) testified on behalf of the AATA alongside Americans for the Arts CEO Robert Lynch before the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. Mr. Stowe spoke of his life-changing experience with art therapy through the Creative Forces program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at Walter Reed and urged the Subcommittee to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) by $12.5 to $167.5 for FY 2020. We’re pleased to announce that on December 17th the House of Representatives passed their FY 2020 funding bills which included funding the NEA at $162.25 million, a $7.25 million increase, the largest amount in a decade! Also included was $5 million in direct appropriation to the Veteran Affairs Department for creative arts therapies to treat veterans through their Whole Health initiative.
• We continue to work with coalitions and collaborating organizations to advocate for access to quality mental health care and the arts. This year for the first time ever the, AATA joined the National Council for Behavioral Health and over 600 advocates for Behavioral Health Hill Day 2019 to advocate for legislation to improve our nation’s mental health care. Once again, we took a stand for the arts by participating in Americans for the Arts’ Arts Advocacy Day, taking an active role in drafting the briefs and training advocates in the policy agenda around arts in health and arts in the military. With our colleagues in the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations (NCCATA), we worked to spread awareness during Creative Arts Therapies Week in March and issued joint letters in support of two insurance bills in New York that would have expanded coverage for licensed creative arts therapists (LCAT) in the state.
• Recognizing the importance of access to mental health care in the 2020 elections dialogue, the AATA joined the Mental Health for US, a nonpartisan educational initiative focused on elevating mental health and addiction in national policy conversations by empowering grassroots advocates and improving candidate and policymaker health literacy, as a coalition member.
• Through our coalitions such as the Mental Health Liaison Group and the National Alliance of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (NASISP), the AATA signed onto over 20 joint letters to lawmakers in support of improved federal mental health policy.

New Professional Development Opportunities

Attendees at the Inaugural International Art Therapy Practice/Research Conference in London

The AATA is committed to continue providing your favorite programs and features while also expanding with new experiences and responding to your needs.

• On December 7th, the AATA offered our very first virtual conference! With over 40 attendees, 13 presenters, and seven sessions, this new virtual format paves the way for even more online educational offerings that bring the content to you.
• The AATA’s 50th Conference in Kansas City was a success! Almost 1000 attendees enjoyed learning through over 230 education sessions and many more opportunities for networking and exploring the depths of the field. We were pleased to host U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (KS-3), a champion for mental health, and Kansas State Representative Jerry Stogsdill (District 21), sponsor of the Kansas art therapy licensure bill, at conference!
• In July of 2019, the AATA teamed up with the British Association of Art Therapists to offer the Inaugural International Art Therapy Practice/Research Conference that gathered over 700 attendees from more than 35 countries in London.
• We are continuing to expand our course offerings on the AATA’s Institute for Continuing Education in Art Therapy (ICE/AT).
• Beginning in December, we are also launching a brand new online platform, compatible with members’ MyAATA login, to further streamline your online experience with the AATA and to make accessing these continuing education courses a more user-friendly experience.

Enhanced Membership Experience

This year we have continued our work to make sure every member’s experience with the AATA, whether in-person or online, is a positive one.

• Our MyAATA online community forum passed the 1,000 posts milestone! Members have discussed a wide range of topics within the art therapy field and participated in hosted series such as the Journal Chat, that provides an opportunity to dialogue with authors who had articles that were published in 2019 issues. It has been truly rewarding to see this community grow and to witness art therapists lifting each other up in real-time, exchanging best practices and words of encouragement.
• We’ve welcomed Anita Douglas, Senior Manager of Membership to our National Office team this year and she has been hard at work in improving membership experience, renewal, and retention.

Thank you to all our members for your support in fulfilling our mission of advancing art therapy – we could not do it without you! Check out our 2018 and 2017 wrap ups to see how far we’ve come over the past several years. We look forward to what we can accomplish together in 2020!

Art Therapy Licensure Progress in Virginia

Great news from VATA on the licensure front for art therapy in Virginia. Only a month after the DC hearing for their license, the General Assembly will hear about the bill to make art therapists licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia in January 2020. Here is the latest report:

"The 2020 General Assembly is fast approaching this coming January and we wanted to provide you all with an update on our efforts towards licensure.

We are so pleased to share that Senator Jennifer McClellan will be sponsoring our bill and presenting it to the General Assembly! The VATA licensure committee has been working closely with her staff preparing our bill to be presented in January.

We still need to continue gathering support from other legislators in both parties to help support our bill. We are asking all of you to please reach out to your local legislators and ask for their support of VATA's bill for art therapy licensure in the state of Virginia.

Please see some talking points below to share with your legislator:

• The bill is being introduced by Sen. McClellan at the 2020 Virginia General Assembly
• We need bipartisan representation to support the art therapy licensure bill
• Passing this bill will increase access for specialized mental health care in VA
• The VA Board of Health Professions has already approved art therapy licensure"

Follow more updates here from VATA.

Art Therapists Are Needed Everywhere

This interview with art therapist Andrea Boyadjis emphasizes the need for art therapists to address today's mental health crisis and help people with a variety of issues.

By Emily Carlson Herald Review

Dec 14, 2019

‘THERE IS A HIGH NEED FOR ART THERAPISTS EVERYWHERE’

Top of FormBottom of Form

Andrea Boyadjis, MFA, BS is one of Lakeview Behavioral Health’s newest staff members. As an art therapist and mental health practitioner, Boyadjis commutes to Grand Rapids from the Twin Ports area.

Q: What is your title and educational background?

A: I am an Art Therapist and Mental Health Practitioner. I took both my undergrad and my masters in Art Therapy at the University of Wisconsin Superior. The program in Superior emphasized the combination of counseling education and learning how to utilize art materials effectively. . Currently, I am enrolled in an online program through Capella University for a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. My plan is to achieve an LPCC licensure to become a Therapist that specializes in Art Therapy in the great state of Minnesota. Between my educational experiences and the jobs I have held, I have completed a total of 5000 hours of experience in the mental health field. 

Q: Why did you want to work in Grand Rapids?

A: I enjoy working in Grand Rapids. I have found murals and sculptures all over the city. I find it both inspiring and hopeful for the acceptance of Art Therapy as an effective approach to mental health counseling. On top of that, I am enthralled by natural scenery. It is very therapeutic to interact with natural elements and Grand Rapids has a wonderful variety of parks in the area. 

I knew I wanted to work at Lakeview Behavioral Health the instant I sat down for the interview. The support they provide their employees is vital to the work environment I was looking for. I like to know that an employer is empathetic to the stress that can arise from being a mental health professional. I also found that Lakeview's approach to the growing mental health crisis is one that aligns itself with my professional approach and future goals as a mental health professional.

Q: What is the purpose of your work?

A: As an Art Therapist, I find the function of creative expression to be vital for a client to process their life experiences and how it impacts their mental health. To some clients, it can be difficult to verbally open up to a  Therapist. Creative expression through Art Therapy allows for a larger range of communication styles. By giving a client different ways to express their internal conflicts, it allows for a more poignant reflection which, in turn, allows the client to grow, explore, and empower themselves on a deeper level. Art Therapy provides a colorful range of approaches to the therapeutic process. 

I use a variety of materials in sessions. Anywhere between sculpture, painting, drawing, writing, collage, spoken word, music, sand, legos, games and costumes can all be utilized in the therapeutic context. When I tell people that I am an Art Therapist I often hear the response, "I am not creative enough to try that. My art would look horrible!" To that, I explain the purpose of creativity in session. In Art Therapy, it isn't about the finished product of your artwork. It is about the process it takes to make it. An Art Therapy session is a safe and supportive place to interact with your artwork. I encourage clients to rip up their artwork, throw it away, or leave it unfinished. As the artist or creator in the session, it is your art, therefore, it is your right to do with it what you will. 

Q: What does a typical day look like for you?

A: I do a lot of prep work for clients. Some days are just focused on that. After the first session, I take into consideration their interests in different materials and hobbies. I often research topics of interest and apply them to a directive. Part of making these directives is to prepare the materials effectively so that session isn't interrupted by extra obstacles or snafus. It's pretty common for me to reuse recyclable materials in unique ways; cutting up cardboard for sculptures, using plastic covers as stencils, or reusing jars and small boxes. My favorite is cutting down bubble wrap because I get to play with it too! 

Q: What type of art do your clients do in their sessions?

A: The art we do in session is catered to each client. Sometimes that means using the materials they are interested in and other times, it means trying something new in order to develop growth. Depending on the situation, I will formulate directives that are more psycho-dynamic and personal in order to engage the client in their therapeutic journey. And, sometimes, a session means making art for the sake of making art; which allows for sensory stimulation that can help break down vulnerable barriers. 

Q: Is there a high need for art therapists in this area?

A: Because of the current mental health crisis, there is a high need for Art Therapists everywhere. Art Therapy can reach a multitude of people from a variety of demographics. I have practiced Art Therapy with a variety of people and communities. I know how effective it can be for the therapeutic journey and, all that's really required from a client, is their interest to try a different approach to therapy.

Q: Who would you recommend utilize art therapy?

A: In my years of practice, I have been able to work with adults, individuals living with post-traumatic stress disorder, people experiencing homelessness or poverty, those experiencing depression and anxiety, people of indigenous communities, older adults, families, toddlers and young adults.

Q: Is there anything else you would like the community to know about your work and art therapy?

A: I am really excited to continue working with the Grand Rapids community and I am looking forward to exploring how to contribute Art Therapy within the city. For more information, feel free to connect with the American Art Therapy Association. They can connect you to Art Therapists all over the United States. Also, the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association provides many resources for people interested in contributing to the field both nationally and internationally.

To contact Boyadjis for more information email andreab@lakeviewbh.com.

Merry Christmas from Adventures in Art Therapy!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Using Art Therapy with Eating Disorders and Body Image

Intriguing article that highlights the use of art therapy with eating disorders and body image.

How an IUPUI professor uses art therapy to treat eating disorders

BY MJ SLABY

Dec. 5, 2019

In Eileen Misluk's graduate classes, students talk through challenges they are having while working and interning as art therapists.

And Misluk, an assistant professor at the Herron School of Art and Design and director of the art therapy program, noticed that her students often brought up clients who potentially have eating disorders or eating-related issues, asking how they can help them.

"I became really aware that my students were not necessarily well equipped to assess for eating-related issues. And for a lot of the early clinicians out in the field, and some seasoned ones as well, this hasn't been an area of focus for them," she said.

So Misluk, who is a certified eating disorder creative arts therapist, decided to come up with a training program.

Eileen Misluk, as assistant professor at Herron School of Art and Design, uses art therapy such as this piece to treat eating disorders. 

Eileen Misluk, as assistant professor at Herron School of Art and Design, uses art therapy such as this piece to treat eating disorders. 
Photo courtesy of Eileen Misluk

She's developing a program that will train those working at community mental health agencies to know how to identify if clients have eating-related issues, as well on best practices to work with them and when to refer them to a specialist.

And as a member of the Eating Disorder Task Force of Indiana, she’s also working with that group to see if the program could be counted toward continuing education for mental health clinicians in the state.

Funding for the training program, as well as for Misluk to hire a graduate student for the project and travel to the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals Conference, comes from a generous grant from Healthcare Initiatives Inc., an Indianapolis-based private foundation supporting the advancement of human health and well-being, that was awarded earlier this year.

Her hope is to offer the training for free so that as many clinicians as possible have access.

Misluk started working with clients who have eating disorders about 10 years ago and came to IUPUI in 2013.

She started her career in forensic psychiatry, planning to work with people who were coming out of prisons and correctional facilities. However, after attending a talk about eating disorders by a psychologist in 2008, Misluk changed course and focused her work on eating disorders and eating-related issues.

"It was really eye-opening," she said, adding that she started to think more about the impact of media messages and the relationships that people have with food.

"With addictions, we can look at an abstinence-based model. But we can't do that with food," Misluk said, noting that everyone has to have a relationship with food.

Another piece showing how Misluk uses art therapy to treat eating disorders. 

Another piece showing how Misluk uses art therapy to treat eating disorders. Photo courtesy of Eileen Misluk

So art therapy is a way for people to process their emotions and how they are currently feeling about food, whether that is positive or negative, she said. Creating art allows clients to have an ability to tell and document their own stories.

Eating disorders distort a person's body image, so in many cases, making art is more effective for clients than talking about their bodies, Misluk said. And there's also a lot of stigma around eating disorders, so it's important to address people's beliefs and preeconceived notions, she added.

"When we don't see visual representations of ourselves in society, we begin to see that we don't fit in, and I think that that's creating a lot more challenges and damage to our young kids," she said.

Often, she said, clients realize they've been carrying around beliefs based on early messages they got and have core beliefs that they never asked to have.

"So we have the ability, through the art making, to provide an external place to put some of this stuff," she said.

What do credentialed art therapists do for the world?

Here are some thoughts about what credentialed art therapists bring to the world, as well as reflections on gratitude.

Why The World is Grateful for the Credentialed Art Therapist

Gratitude is most often written as a practice for the sake of well-being. Art Therapy and Positive Psychology presented in Chilton and Wilkinson’s (2009) article remarks on how art therapists can contribute to this emerging field that focuses on positive emotions and experiences as treatment outcomes. What I seek is valuable and essential to self-care, focus on maintaining credentials and staying connected with a community of art therapists. It is to look deeply into how others show their gratitude for us. William James stated, “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” 

Sometimes, challenges unique to an art therapy clinician—always having to explain art therapy, how art and psychology work together effectively in our profession, proving that we are excellent clinicians, etc.– can overshadow the purpose and intent of becoming a credentialed art therapist. We may find ourselves questioning our professional choice of pursuing the specialized art therapy degree and our commitment to credentialing, when in some states, licensing is all that’s needed. “Tis the season” to make a gift to ourselves as credentialed art therapists and remember that what we do positively impacts the lives of others, providing value and worth.

In my 35 plus years of clinical art therapy work, self doubt continues to challenge me. Observing my co-worker case manager one Friday, working frantically calling agencies, arranging transportation and shelter for homeless patients discharging before the weekend I thought of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and my patient contributions. How valuable can my work be to patients with so little resources? It inspired me to paint this existential theme. My art response was my resolution that we are here to celebrate our gifts, share them with others and not judge their worthiness.

“Gifts” by the Author

I work in an adult psychiatric inpatient setting, facilitate a monthly “Open Art Studio” at a non- profit agency that serves our community, and supervise to art therapy Interns. I, like many credentialed art therapists, have my hands in many pies. That can make for a hot and stressful kitchen. Preparation and clean-up alone can wear one thin. Are our pies enough to sustain those with whom we share our skills? The answer can be found when we take the time to look and listen to them.

Active duty service members at my workplace articulate their appreciation to me through a gift of their art or a note. Most are able to see how my passion for art therapy is contagious. One wrote, “You bring and share the joys of art therapy to our lives and will be forever changed. You also help us express ourselves and find hope in our imperfections.” 

Many populations with which we work may not be able to express gratitude as easily. Credentialed Art Therapist, Yadi Puente, from Artvango Therapeutic Services exemplifies this in the case of two foster children moved to seven foster homes within two years due to their “unwanted behaviors.” She noted that the children found their outlet to express their abuse and neglect through weekly art therapy sessions. Their foster parents saw the positive changes in these children through their involvement with Artvango. As a result of their significant progress, the parents adopted these “two great kids no longer on medication” in July 2019. (Puente, personal communication, November, 2019)

Jaimie Peterson, credentialed art therapist at Kerrville State Hospital for forensic psychiatry wrote, “Due to the forensic component patients have no choice in being at our facility.  This can bring a lot of resentment and frustration to the table. Individuals utilize the art therapy studio as a haven and find freedom within creativity. During people’s hospitalization I sometimes receive the occasional thank you note or holiday card that expresses gratitude. I receive a lot of phone calls around the holidays from artists that have discharged. They let me know how they are doing and how they have kept Art in their lives since discharge. These calls warm my heart and really validate my work and the relationships we built. This spring I received a graduation announcement from a former artist who graduated with a BFA with honors and was going on for MFA studies. I was thanked for believing in him” (Peterson, personal communication, November, 2019). 

As artists we are skilled in observation, creative self-expression and giving other people a new perspective. Here are a few suggestions to maintain our healthy balance that strengthens the commitment to valuable work and art therapy credentials.

1. Include a written feedback form as part of your art therapy sessions.
2. Create a journal or container for your client thank you notes.
3. Make art after a positive session that reflects a behavior or emotion of client progress.
4. Connect regularly with other art therapists to share stories of success.
5. Print out this blog and keep it handy. 

Gratitude is expressed in many ways. It may be tangible or difficult to detect. What is essential is to treasure any form in which gratitude is presented. It fosters the connections and relationships essential to professional growth and well-being.

Deborah Murphy

ATR-BC, LPC-AT/S, Director ATCB