We're excited to bring the AATA 2026 In-Person Conference to Charlotte, NC, this October! This year's theme, Rooted and Rising, is inspired by Charlotte's rich forestry landscape and reflects something central to who we are: a community of art therapists and advocates committed to growth, while remaining grounded in the values that guide us. (Art therapy has evolved since AATA's beginnings, from neuroscience research to community practices, and we strive to build upon our founding principles to meet the needs of today.)

Save the Dates. The AATA2026 In-Person Conference is October 14–17, and the Virtual Conference is November 14–15.

The AATA Conference Committee encourages you to share your expertise at the conferences this fall. The Call for Proposals closes March 17! You can submit a proposal to present at the AATA2026 In-Person Conference in Charlotte, the Virtual Conference, or both.

By submitting a proposal, you are contributing to the growth of the field while advancing your own professional development. Presenting offers a unique opportunity to share your expertise with art therapy students and professionals across the field. AATA offers resources and support to help you develop and submit a strong proposal.
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Many people are carrying the effects of trauma shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing social injustice, and today’s complex sociopolitical climate. As healers and helping professionals, we often carry these experiences alongside those we serve. In the session, Calming the Traumatized Brain: Brain-Based Techniques for Trauma and Anxiety, participants will explore how trauma is encoded in the brain and body and how it influences emotional well-being and resilience, while discovering how art therapy can serve as a bridge to psychosensory practices such as self-havening and tapping.

This session's speaker, Marybeth Orton, MA, ATR-BC, ATCS, ICST, LPAT-S, is a licensed art therapist with more than 30 years of experience integrating art therapy with brain-based and psychosensory approaches

The AATA Undergraduate Education Committee publishes a biannual newsletter to support and connect those involved in undergraduate art therapy education.
Inside the Winter 2026 edition, you’ll find updates on emerging trends, program highlights, and topics relevant to those involved in undergraduate art therapy education.

For Black History Month, we shared a Continuing Education session focused on the mental health experiences of African American/Black women.

All AATA Members can still access Exploring Art Therapy Groups Among African American/Black Women: From Research to Program Implementation, led by Michelle "Starr" Starling, M.Ed., MA, LPC, ATR, at no cost through March 15. Non-members can access the session at a discounted price of $30.

This week, AATA submitted a public comment on a proposed rule from the Department of Education that would define “professional student” for purposes of determining federal student loan amounts based on the type of program in which a student is enrolled. We were joined by dozens of art therapists and art therapy students in submitting comments urging the Department to expand their definition. If these rules are finalized, art therapy students would not be able to borrow more than $100,000 total through federal student loans beginning July 1, 2026.

Art therapists and art therapy students have relied on federal student loans to help pay for their graduate education. According to our online survey taken in February 2026, 95% of respondents told us that they took out federal loans to help pay for their graduate-level tuition, and many also used the funds to pay for school-related expenses, including books, art supplies, and rent. More than half (58%) said that they may have chosen an entirely different career path had these proposed loan limits been in place when they started graduate school. 

→ What Are the Specific Factors of Change in Art Therapy?

By Megan Robb, Kirsten O’Loughlin & Tanadja Barber

→ Art Therapy Intervention Protocol for Research With Adult Hospitalized Burn Patients

By Bani Malhotra, Johanna Czamanski-Cohen, Linwood R. Haith Jr., Minjung Shim, Patricia A. Shewokis & Girija Kaimal

→ Promoting Compassion and Self-Compassion Through Virtual Peer Support With an Artistic Journey

By Jee Hyun Kim, Deanna Mank & Angelena Gagliardi

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.

Source: Marquette Wire

Source: LMU

Source: United Planet Blog

Source: CBS News

Source: ProPublica