Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses creativity to engage the mind, the body, and the spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal psychotherapy alone. Individuals, families, and communities engage in active artmaking and the creative process to improve the quality of their lives. How? By encouraging creativity and artmaking, art therapy has been shown to foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, and reduce and resolve conflicts and distress.

Creative action in art can invoke "Aha" moments of self-realization. Additionally, engagement with the arts has the potential to inspire moments of "Awe" where one expands the limits of ordinary experience with amazement and passion. By creating art in a community setting, individuals within the collective often experience therapeutic and transformational benefits. Community arts offer outlets for social creativity and action. This presentation is designed to provide participants an understanding of what art therapy is and what is not. It covers the benefits of engaging in the creative process for restorative growth. Artwork created by art therapy participants will be shared in the form of case studies to illustrate the healing power of art.

About the speaker

Dr. Mercedes ter Maat is a professor in the Department of Counseling, a licensed professional counselor, and a board certified-registered Art Therapist. She has been practicing art therapy for 39 years, most recently in humanitarian missions in Lebanon (working with Syrian refugees) and Peru (working with indigent children and families). She was named the 2021 Honorary Life Member of the American Art Therapy Association recognizing her life-long contributions to the Association and the profession of art therapy.

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