Art Therapy

Art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. A goal in art therapy is to improve or restore a client’s functioning and his or her sense of personal well-being. Art therapy practice requires knowledge of visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms) and the creative process, as well as of human development, psychological, and counseling theories, and techniques.

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Kathleen Steele-Puma ’21
“As an art therapist, transparency and genuine adherence to self-reflection require an understanding of the implied freedoms to make choices that otherwise remain elusive to people of color and marginalized communities.”
Nicholas Keen ’20
“Pursuing art therapy never felt like a choice; it has always felt like more of a calling. Once I became privy to the option of pursuing a masters in this field, I knew it was what I should be doing.”
Kati Hengel ’21
“I hope to use my social justice education to address the realities of oppression, social inequities, and privilege in an ethical and thoughtful way. I will advocate for those in need of services who may have a difficult time acquiring them.”

Professor Rafe McCullough receives the 2020 Reese House Social Justice Advocate of the Year Award

Rafe McCullough, assistant professor of School Counseling, received the Reese House Social Justice Advocate of the Year Award from Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ).
Professor Nathaniel Brown receives the 2020 ‘Ohana Honors Award

Nathaniel (Nathan) Brown, assistant professor of Professional Mental Health Counseling, received the 2020 ‘Ohana Honors Award from the Association of Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ).
A study on the effects of COVID-19 and distance learning on teachers’ working conditions.

What happens to teachers’ working conditions when a pandemic displaces students from classrooms and forces all learning to go online virtually overnight? Alisun Thompson and Lina Darwich, assistant professors of education, are developing a study in collaboration with researchers at UC Santa Cruz to address this specific question.