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 AATA News
As art therapists face unique developmental challenges throughout their careers, supervision can play a critical role in guiding us through different phases of professional development. This three-part virtual learning series will explore the developmental journey of art therapists, from early-career challenges to more advanced stages, and how supervisors can tailor their approach to meet the evolving needs of their supervisees. Each session will provide an overview of common experiences at different developmental stages, followed by small group discussions and explanations of how to apply this knowledge in clinical supervision. Join us tomorrow at 7:00pm ET for the first session in our 2025 Supervision Series. Or register now and watch On Demand anytime! This series is FREE for AATA Student Members to attend live.
It’s Creative Arts Therapies Week, March 17 – 21! It’s a time to celebrate the art therapy profession and other creative arts therapies. Join the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations and share about the work you do as an art therapist on social media with the tag #CATSWEEK2025. Or take a look at these stories and share with your networks. It’s also an opportunity to get involved in an art therapy licensure campaign in your state. Licensure ensures that people can identify credentialed art therapists and would pave the way for insurance reimbursement, making art therapy more accessible and sustainable.
Are you interested in making an impact on emerging art therapists or seeking opportunities to elevate the profession? Are you looking for ways to connect with other professionals – or maybe just “beef up” your resume? ACATE is currently seeking applications and nominations for positions that will become open on July 1, 2025. Please consider applying or nominating someone whom you believe will work tirelessly to promote best practices for art therapy educational programs, help ACATE implement the newly revised art therapy standards, and create and improve processes for accredited programs to pursue continuing accreditation. ACATE members serve rotating three-year terms, with no members serving longer than two consecutive terms.
Member Corner
“Don't limit yourself to any visions or examples of art therapists you've seen. There needs to be many different types of therapists in order to ensure there's a fit for the many different types of clients out there.“ Learn more about Jocelyn Patterson.
“Consider this: If everyone in the world mindfully practiced the core social skills of accepting our human interdependence, empathy, a state of giving, balancing your needs with others' needs, assertiveness, and compromise, the world would be a kinder, more peaceful place, and humanity could better tackle the immense issues facing us today.” Learn more about Mike Fogel. ADVOCACY UPDATESMental health professionals and other essential workers are facing job cuts across multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which plans to cut 80,000 workers. In response, AATA joined the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) and other associations that represent Creative Arts Therapists in sending a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins urging him to place Recreational Therapy and Creative Arts Therapy on the exempt list from potential layoffs within the Department of Veterans Affairs. These specialized therapists, the letter explains, “play a critical role in improving the well-being of our nation’s veterans, contributing not only to their mental and physical health, but also to their recovery and reintegration into civilian life,” citing the VA’s own information. As we navigate these large-scale cuts across federal agencies, programs, and grants, AATA is surveying art therapists to assess how these cuts are affecting the work you do. From this information, we can better respond to emerging crises and continue to raise awareness and advocate on behalf of our members and the communities you serve. If you are an art therapist, please take this survey. Then write to your lawmakers and urge them to protect mental health professionals, especially those providing direct care to our veterans, from cuts.
Thank you to everyone who attended LCAT Advocacy Day and made it a success! You can check out the press release here, as well as a video here, and an Instagram post from the New York Art Therapy Association here. If you share any of them on social media, please tag Assemblymember Bronson, Senator Brouk & your own state Senator & Assemblymember. And it couldn't hurt to send either/both to your local news outlet. Thanks to the hard work of our advocates and sponsors, Assembly Bill A3319, which would include outpatient care provided by creative arts therapists in certain insurance policies, has passed in the Assembly (147-1)! Assemblymember Bronson spoke very strongly and pointedly in favor of this bill and the work we do, so please take a moment to drop him a quick note of thanks — his work on our behalf (and our clients') really goes above and beyond what bill sponsors usually do.
Thank you to everyone who made the Day on the Hill Prep Party Mar. 1 and Day on the Hill Mar. 8 a success! On our Day on the Hill, art therapists met with 17 legislators across chambers and parties to educate about the importance of art therapy licensure and delivered swag & info to nearly 50 additional people! Our Senate bill (SF1675) has been referred to the Council of Health Boards and currently has four sponsors and bipartisan support. Our bill will likely be heard in Committee in 2026 as scope of practice bills typically get reviewed during Year 2 of a two-year cycle. Please take a moment to reach out to your senator to ask them to co-sponsor the bill. Not sure who your senator is? Find out here.
Art therapy licensure legislation has now been introduced in the Texas House as HB4557 by Representative Anchía! Plus, on the Senate side, SB1081 has been referred to the Senate Business & Commerce Committee. As of now, there is no scheduled hearing date posted on the committee’s calendar. We are closely monitoring for updates and will inform everyone if a hearing is set. Reach out to your local Texas Representative or Senator (especially if they are a member of the committee) and to voice your support and ask them to co-sponsor SB1081 and pass it out of committee. You can find out who your lawmaker is here. Use this model letter for Texans to help you write your lawmaker about the bill, or you can find other sample letters and the latest information on our Facebook page: "Texas Art Therapy Licensure”.
By Liz Micciulla, LPC, ATR-BC, CAADC Hi everyone! I’m Liz Micciulla, the Advocacy and Professional Affairs Chair for the Pennsylvania Art Therapy Association (PAATA). I’m thrilled to share some exciting progress on art therapy licensure in PA! Our licensure bill has 15 sponsors and we now have a memo in the PA House of Representatives! With support from the AATA, we’ve updated the bill language to include the Licensed Associate Art Therapist (LAAT) alongside the Licensed Professionalil Art Therapist (LPAT). This is a huge step forward in recognizing and supporting art therapists at all levels! We’re hopeful that a live bill will be introduced in the next few weeks, and we’re actively seeking a Senate sponsor to keep the momentum going. Want to stay informed or get involved? We meet monthly to discuss updates and advocacy efforts. Reach out to us at PAATAorgGAC@gmail.com or PAATAorg@gmail.com to join the conversation. Thank you for your support—let’s keep pushing for art therapy licensure in PA! 🎨💙
Kansas State Representative Susan Ruiz introduced HB2072, which has now been referred to the Health and Human Services committee. Please contact your representative, (especially if they are a member of the committee) to ask them to co-sponsor HB2072 and pass it out of committee. You can find out who your representative is here. Use this model letter for Kansans to help you write your lawmaker about the bill.
JOURNAL NEWSCheck out the top five cited articles published over the last three years in Art Therapy. These statistics are updated weekly using participating publisher data sourced exclusively from CrossRef:
This special issue seeks to provide a platform for innovative research, case studies, theoretical explorations, and professional practice viewpoints that deepen our collective knowledge of how art therapy can support neurodivergent individuals. We welcome original articles, theoretical papers, brief reports, and case studies including but not limited to:
Events
From the AATA Career Center- SPONSORED POST - As an Art Therapist & Clinical Supervisor, you will provide trauma-informed therapy to individuals, couples, and families, and facilitate support groups for adult and adolescent sexual assault survivors. You will work with diverse populations and clients in marginalized communities, supporting the visibility of trauma therapy services across Chicago. Additionally, you will supervise art therapy interns and other trauma therapists and collaborate with the Director of Trauma Therapy and the Leadership Team on programmatic growth. - SPONSORED POST - The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey seeks three Creative Arts Therapists in various locations (Hammonton, Glen Gardener, and Highland Park) to participate as a member of the care team in assessing, developing and planning creative arts therapy activities for patients appropriate to the multidisciplinary plan of care. - SPONSORED POST - Joe’s Art Time, LLC seeks a creative and compassionate Art Therapist or Creative Arts Therapist to join our team. Must have graduated from a master's art therapy program and have the potential to achieve the ATR registration and BC Board Certification or the REAT certification. Having a LMHC or Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern is a plus but not required. Contracted Art Therapy positions are also available at $40 to $50 an hour plus mileage to and from the site. - SPONSORED POST - Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) in Baltimore is seeking applicants for a full-time, 12-month, tenure-track Faculty member and Graduate Program Director in the Art Therapy department, beginning Summer 2025. Want to post or apply for art therapy jobs? Visit the AATA Career Center, the one-stop-shop to help art therapists at all levels find new opportunities. For questions about the career center, please email info@arttherapy.org.
Art Therapy in the News |
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The AATA's Art Therapy Today includes a digest of the most important news selected for the AATA from thousands of sources. Guest articles may be submitted to info@arttherapy.org. Publication of any guest article is at the sole discretion of the AATA. The opinions expressed and/or contents of guest articles, advertisements, and external links included in any AATA publication do not represent the positions or policies of the AATA. The AATA makes no warrenty or representation concerning the accuracy of such content. |
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