Considering Power & Privilege: Art Therapy in Costa Rica

We found this lecture from the School of Visual Arts NYC on the experiences of art therapists working in Costa Rica.

Check out more videos like this one on the MPS Art Therapy vimeo's channel.

Art Therapy x Cancer Patients

Healing Arts from KPCC on Vimeo.

The Art Room

Check out this blog post from Art Therapy Blog on art therapy and the Duchess of Cambridge.

ATA Meeting Tonight x Elections

Tonight is the February ATA Meeting. We will be voting on the new E-board. The meeting will be held on FSU's campus in WJB room 3003 at 7PM. We hope to see you there!

Student Profile: Chelsea Plotner

Name: Chelsea Plotner, 25
Hometown: Army Brat

How long have you been in the program? I have been in the FSU Art Therapy program for 1.5 years!

How did you hear about Art Therapy?  I first heard about art therapy during my undergrad at FSU. I studied art education in the same department that art therapy resides in, graduating with my Bachelors in 2011. In the art education program, we had to have a concentration in either an art medium of our choice, such as photography, or we could choose to do psychology, which was considered the pre-art therapy track. I have always been interested in psychology, so I chose that track. Along the way I met an art therapist working with the military, and read as much research as I could get my hands on. By the time I graduated with my undergrad, I knew that art therapy was what I was meant to do!

What qualities do you think make a good therapist? I think being an attentive and active listener is the most important part of being a therapist. It is so easy to get mentally distracted during a session, which means you could miss some key piece of information that a client is giving you. Practicing being in the here-and-now with your client not only helps you, but your clients will notice as well, and know that you truly care about what they have to say.

What inspires you? There are so many exciting things happening in the world of art therapy – everyday I read a new article that makes me say “Wow!” and perks my interests for a new part of the field. There is no limit to what population art therapy can be used with, and seeing what other art therapists are trying (and succeeding) at makes me want to dive right in!

Why did you choose FSU for your program of study? I was really looking for a program that would be invested in me, not just as a graduate student, but as an individual. When I interviewed with the FSU Art Therapy program, I met some of the students and got to talk to them about their experiences in the program. They all had such wonderful things to say, I couldn’t shake it!

People thought I made a poor decision to stay at the school where I got my undergrad, but I believe they are wrong. FSU’s program is truly one of a kind, and the faculty and staff are amazing. My professors genuinely want me to be successful, not just as a professional, but as a person, and my classmates are my biggest cheerleaders. I wouldn’t be anywhere else!

What is it that you desire to do with your degree in art therapy? Right now, I would love to work with juvenile offenders. I think this group of adolescents really needs the benefits that art therapy can bring to them, and there is always a need for dedicated mental health professionals in this field. Coming from a military family, I would also be interested in working as a Military Family Life Consultant, helping families to cope with the stresses of military life, deployments, reunions, and other unique aspects of life in the service.

Any Advice for future art therapy students? When looking for a graduate school, find one that has a variety of internships throughout the program. FSU requires three separate internships, so that we can experience working with a variety of populations, and see where we might fit or not fit. My internship sites have been an invaluable source of experience and knowledge, and have helped me to know that I am in the right profession for me. They also give you great real-world work experience, and the diversity of settings you work in will help you in your job hunt later down the road! The entire experience of graduate school is hard, pedal to the metal, non-stop grind, but it is truly one of the most rewarding things you will do with your life J

Student Profile: Carrie Tillett-Saks

Name: Carrie Tillett-Sak, 23
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

How long have you been in the program? I have been in this program for a year and a half.

How did you hear about Art Therapy? I heard about Art Therapy in high school. My friend’s mom, Lori Vance, was an art therapist. She knew I was into the arts in high school, but I built a stronger relationship with her once I was in college. Four or five summers ago, I emailed Lori to tell her I was looking for a summer job in Milwaukee and if she knew of any to let me know. She hooked me up with Our Next Generation, which is an after school non profit organization in Milwaukee that works with under privledged youth. They hired me as the Art Camp Counselor for their summer program. I worked with a classroom of eight and nine year olds for the summer, making art, planning field trips and parades, having reading time, and other fun summer activities. It was both terrifying and exciting. We took a few field trips to Express Yourself Milwaukee, which is where we created a lot of art. Seeing these students create and express themselves really inspired me to, and essentially made me want to dedicate my life to art therapy with at risk youth.

What qualities do you think make a good therapist? Empathy is one of the most important qualities of an art therapist. You must be able to understand the situations and disabilities of a lot of the clients we serve. Flexibility is also very important. Sometimes I forget that not every art directive will work with every client. People are unique; their treatment should be as well. And of course, in the spirit of still being in grad school, hard work is very important. We cannot serve populations if we do not understand their disability and symptoms. It is our responsibility as mental health providers to keep up to date on clinical diagnoses and modern treatment techniques.

What inspires you? As cheesy as this may be, a lot of my classmates inspire me. Seeing some of the amazing things they are doing, and the dedication they have to improving the field, makes me want to get more and more involved. They are only graduate students, but I feel lie some of them are aiming to truly change the field and improve the quality of art therapy we provide. Some people’s passion is amazing.

Why did you choose FSU for your program of study? The first thing that caught my eye about the FSU art therapy program was their dedication to social justice. I was first drawn to art therapy because it gave me an opportunity to help, in a way that I knew how, those who needed help but probably wouldn’t receive it due to socioeconomic status. That the FSU program highlighted social justice meant a lot to me. The second thing that drew me to FSU was their personal touch. Even before I was accepted, the staff was very helpful and receptive to me.

Any Advice for future art therapy students? Dream big. Do not doubt the process. Take on a lot and accomplish a lot. Yes, those are all clichés, but they are important ones.

Veterans x Art Therapy

Check out this blog post from FSU ATA President Rachel Mims.