Working with Adversity

February 3-4, 2024
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Day 1, February 3, 2024

Creativity, Neurobiology, and Healing

Within a neurodevelopmental framework of clinical assessment and treatment, the general direction for the selection and sequencing of treatment planning is based upon selecting the lowest “level” of significant impairment and then moving up the developmental ladder. 
The NMT™ consultation process suggests treatment plans, which often include activities that provide patterned, repetitive, somatosensory, and rewarding experience with the goal of creating therapeutic interventions that are sensitive to developmental status in various domains and to state regulation capacity.  This presentation will discuss various forms of art therapy related to NMT™ and the therapeutic potential of these experiences.

Objectives:
The participants will:
1. Be able to synthetise the neurodevelopmental framework.
2. Be able to apply the principles of the NMT™ consultation process in designing treatment plans, recognizing the importance of activities providing patterned, repetitive, somatosensory experiences that enhance state regulation capacity.
3. Be able to explore and evaluate various forms of art therapy within the context of NMT™ and the therapeutic benefits and potential of these experiences.
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Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Perry is the Principal of the Neurosequential Network a Professor (Adjunct) in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago and the School of Allied Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia.
Over the last thirty years, Dr. Perry has been an active teacher, clinician and researcher in children’s mental health and the neurosciences holding a variety of academic positions. His work on the impact of abuse, neglect and trauma on the developing brain has impacted clinical practice, programs and policy across the world.
Dr. Perry is the author, with Maia Szalavitz, of The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog, a bestselling book based on his work with maltreated children and Born For Love: Why Empathy is Essential and Endangered. Dr. Perry's most recent book, What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey was released in 2021.

The Body Holds the Healing: Research on Lived Experiences and Restoration via Expressive Arts

This presentation emphasizes the role of lived experiences and how implicit communication via expressive arts facilitates restorative narratives. Most trauma specialists agree that lived experiences—first-person stories from trauma survivors—are key to understanding their reactions and recovery, yet few studies use narrative methods and arts-based research designs to evaluate what individuals are telling us through both implicit [non-verbal] and explicit [verbal] communications. This presentation brings together initial data from a five-year grant on expressive arts therapy with the US Department of Education and expressive and sensory-based approaches in programming within the Department of Defense to highlight the importance of lived experiences in recovery and restoration.

Objectives
Participants will:
 1) Be able to define expressive arts therapy as a sensory-based, implicit form of communication;
2) Be able to define how coregulation via expressive approaches contributes to restoration and health;
3) Be able to define the “shift phenomenon” as key to access of multiple senses;
4) Be able to define the terms embodied cognition, synchrony, and attunement;
5) Be able to define where image making fits into a continuum of restorative strategies to address distress and trauma reactions;
 

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Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT

Cathy Malchiodi PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT is the executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, works as a consultant to the Department of Defense, and an investigator on a five-year grant with the US Department of Education, integrating trauma-informed expressive arts into classrooms.
A popular presenter and workshop leader, she has given over 700 invited keynotes and workshops throughout the US, Canada, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. She has authored 20 books, including the bestselling Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body, and Imagination in the Healing Process and Understanding Children’s Drawings. Her publications have been translated in over 20 languages.

Presenter's site: www.cathymalchiodi.com

Art Therapy for Refugees in Humanitarian Settings 

This presentation looks at the work of The Red Pencil, a humanitarian organisation that works with art therapy. After a presentation of the organisation as such, its mission and its intervention model, the focus is on two projects recently set up by the European entity of The Red Pencil to help people of Ukrainian origin displaced by war to strengthen their resilience. The objectives of the intervention, the theoretical models on which it is based, the detailed plan for the sessions, the measurement tools and the results obtained are presented. For each project, a short video relaying the testimonies of the participants is shared.

Learning objectives:
Participants will:
1) be able to explore how an art therapy intervention can be carried out in a humanitarian context, and what its specific features are
2) be able to identify several methods of measuring the outcomes and impact of such interventions  
2) be able to list some of the benefits perceived by participants.
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Natacha Pirotte, MA

Natacha Pirotte is a certified art therapist from the master's program at HAN University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
In 2016, she joined the humanitarian mission Red Pencil and started the Belgian office.  She now coordinates the association's activities in Europe and in countries such as India, Lebanon and others. She also helped set up the European Federation of Art Therapy (EFAT), of which she was General Secretary for the first two years.
Her clinical experience extends to people seeking international protection, young people at risk of social exclusion and cancer patients. She is also involved in art therapy research. Originally trained as a civil engineer, Natacha Pirotte strives to reconcile scientific and art-therapeutic approaches, drawing on the left-brain and right-brain skills she has developed over the course of her life.

Merging Creative Arts Therapies with Trauma Resolution Modalities

This workshop will present the benefits of merging the creative arts and somatic work with trauma resolution modalities (such as EMDR and the Flash Technique).
Therapists often make the assumption that clients have access to their bodies as a resource in therapy; for example, by inviting them to notice sensations during breathing exercises, or while exploring a distressing event. Without stabilization and distress tolerance skills, many clients with complex trauma have difficulty being mindfully present in their bodies without becoming overwhelmed.
This presentation will focus on practical and effective strategies to help clients build the skills they need to mindfully have an embodied experience in the present moment, which is essential to safely confronting and processing the past. Participants will be introduced to The COME BACK Tool, a set of eight body and arts-based stabilization practices, and will be able to offer some of these practices immediately with clients using the scripts, and even apply them to their own self-care routine.

Objectives:
    Participants will:
1. Be able to define the challenges clients with complex trauma face in accessing their bodies as a resource in therapy sessions and the limitations in using traditional approaches without adequate distress tolerance skills and stabilization techniques.
2. Be able to acquire practical skills to implement The COME BACK Tool effectively.
3. Be able to incorporate these self-care practices into their own lives, enhancing their ability to guide clients through mindful embodiment and trauma resolution processes.
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Jennifer Marchand, MA, CCC, RCAT

Jennifer Marchand is a Canadian trauma therapist and EMDRIA-approved consultant & trainer with over 10 years of clinical experience in diverse settings and cultural contexts. She currently lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, specializing in work with humanitarian aid workers, health professionals, expatriates, and survivors of complex and generational trauma. Jennifer blends creative arts therapies and somatic therapies (such as trauma-sensitive yoga) with trauma reprocessing modalities, including EMDR, the Flash Technique, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) for a holistic and culturally-responsive approach. She has a special interest in the benefits of the Zentangle method, an arts-based approach to mindfulness and stabilization, leading her to become a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) and integrating it into her work with survivors.

Jennifer has acquired in-depth knowledge and specialization in vicarious traumatization and burnout. She currently works with EMDR-trained Ethiopian clinicians as a consultant and facilitates burnout prevention groups. As a trauma trainer and technical advisor to Medica Mondiale, E.V., an international women’s rights organization based in Germany, she develops and delivers training on trauma sensitivity for health professionals in conflict-affected settings—such as Kurdistan, Afghanistan, and Southeast Europe—with a focus on responding to the psychosocial needs of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

Jennifer is also an editor and author in the new publication on combining EMDR and Creative Arts Therapies to treat complex trauma with diverse populations across a range of cultural contexts: EMDR and Creative Arts Therapies (Routledge, 2022).



Reclaiming Resilience: Fostering Wholeness in Relationship with Creative Somatic Wisdom

Resilience is inherent in all of us. It holds the landscape of beauty, hope, connection, alignment and the felt sense of being whole. This presentation will examine ways of collaboratively supporting our clients to reclaim their unique sense of embodied resilience while navigating the impacts of past and ongoing trauma due to the impacts of oppression and explore ways of embodying an anti-oppressive lens through somatic inquiry and creative dialogue.
This presentation will explore art and somatic-based practices that integrate supporting clients to cultivate a relationship with the wisdom of the body through creative, mindful practices that support a reclaiming and embodiment of resilience as a way of being and witnessed as an inherent wisdom that can be nurtured, sustained, and celebrated. Jacquie will lean into exploring trauma and resilience from a somatic perspective.

Objectives:
Participants will:
1.    Be able to explore collaborative methods to restore clients' embodied resilience amid the effects of trauma and oppression.
2.    Be able to integrate the use of engagement in art and somatic practices, nurturing clients' embodiment of resilience.
3.    Be able to examine trauma and resilience through a somatic lens.
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Jacquie Compton, MA, RP, RCAT

Jacquie Compton (she/her) is a trauma therapist, educator, clinical consultant and poet. She is an art therapist, a certified advanced practitioner in sensorimotor psychotherapy, and an SPI-approved clinical consultant.

Jacquie is a faculty member and clinical supervisor at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute, where she teaches courses on trauma-informed practice, embodiment, anti-oppressive practice and cultural humility in art therapy. She is also an instructor with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.
With over 15 years of clinical experience, she continues developing a trauma-focused, decolonizing practice incorporating art-based and somatic-based approaches.

Her approach is deeply rooted in anti-oppressive, anti-racist, decolonizing, feminist, and trauma-informed practices. Jacquie believes in the embodiment of practices beyond the therapeutic relationship and welcomes others to experience the beauty of being in a relationship with themselves, others and the world around them with and through the wisdom of body. In 2022, she published her first book of poetry, A Body of Wisdom.
Presenter's Site: www.thegroundedheart.com

Creativity and Institutional Suffering

This presentation explores the profound interplay between institutional suffering and the communities entrenched within it, emphasizing their inherent resilience. It delves into the effective management of creative practices as a means to confront and address the pervasive issue of institutional labeling.
Central to this exploration is the role of collective creative spaces, acting both as catalysts and mirrors, revealing the unique styles inherent within these communities.
Within the context of public hospitals and educational environments at the peripheries of Buenos Aires, this abstract sheds light on the transformative journey from perceiving obstacles to embracing opportunities. It underlines the pivotal role of collective creative spaces, particularly art therapy groups, in fostering and showcasing individual styles.
Moreover, it contemplates the involvement of actors, emissaries, and recipients entrenched within institutional systems of health and education, probing the question: Why immerse ourselves within the artistic climate as a means of engagement and transformation within these institutional frameworks?

Objectives:
Participants will:
1. Be able to analyze and articulate the intricate dynamics between institutional suffering and the resilience inherent within affected communities
2. Be able to explore and apply effective strategies for utilizing creative practices as tools to address and confront institutional labeling.
3. Be able to assess the significance and effectiveness of collective creative spaces, particularly art therapy groups, in fostering and showcasing individual styles within marginalized institutional settings.
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Elsa Scanio, MA

Elsa Scanio, MA is a multifaceted professional, being a clinical psycho-pedagogist, trained art therapist, lecturer, visual artist, and actress.
She has been a clinical psycho-pedagogist in the Municipal Hospital of Moron, Buenos Aires, Argentina since 1983.  She is the creator of the Art Therapy Team "Arte y Clínica", that operates from 1994 at the Mental Health Service of the same hospital. She is the Clinical and Teaching Director of the Postgraduate Hospital Internship in Art Therapy at the hospital, being a supervisor of clinical cases and thesis.
She is the Director of the project "Zona de Arte y Clínica”, space dedicated to exploration and monitoring of group clinical processes in art therapy. She offers art therapy sessions for the SUMS Morón De-Insane Asylum Program with outpatients from the Open Door.
Elsa is a guest professor in European institutions such as the Integrative Master of Art Therapy, University of Girona, Spain, Art Therapy Center, Ospedale della Sanitary Azzienda of Florence, Italy, and ATTEP CEFFAT, Paris.

Most recent publication:
Procesos clínicos grupales en Zona de Arte. Parte C. Abordaje Grupal y familiar. Reformulaciones y recursos creatvos. Psicopedagogía y marco social. Una clínica de lo posible.

COMPASSION CARE: Embracing Creative &
Culturally Sensitive Connections in Wartime. An Exploration of the Use of Artful Connection in the Midst of Conflict and Trauma

On February 24, 2022, Russia started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Thousands of people have been killed, lost their homes, and were forced to flee their country and leave their lives behind. Currently, there are over eight million ‘officially registered’ Ukrainian refugees across Europe, and over six million internally displaced families across the entire country of Ukraine.
First Aid of The Soul (FAS), a 501c(3) nonprofit, launched in March 2022, was formed in response to this war with the mission of providing accessible mental health support services to Ukrainians affected by the war. A global collective of clinical experts from the expressive and creative arts fields was mobilized to offer trauma-informed mental health and psychosocial support services to Ukrainians through multifaceted, holistic, and creative approaches.
This panel presentation will explore the work of First Aid of the Soul and the framework that the core clinical team has been developing since the onset of the war. Through discussing the challenges and obstacles faced in offering our services, cultural nuances, complex past, and how FAS has been implementing creative interventions within this work to build a sense of belonging, empowerment, dignity, and compassion. The panel will also address the importance of what it means to hold culturally sensitive space, beyond language barriers, that is trauma-informed and meets the immediate needs of those we aim to serve.
This presentation describes how FAS has structured its response to the suffering of the nation Ukraine, and specifically what they have done to come alongside colleagues as they have faced the adversity of the war. The FAS team outlines specifically how they have fostered growth and offered psychological respite through trauma-informed care and artful connections and interventions. The aim is that their mission and story will offer tools and techniques for implementing first aid support in times of ongoing crisis –virtually, creatively, and with a culturally and trauma-informed lens.

Learning Objectives:
The participants will be able to:
1. explore trauma-informed care necessary in war teritories and how to navigate that care when people are in crisis.
2. gain insight in facilitating an effective virtual support group,
developing a supportive and trusted community.
3. explore how to organize an effective response to treat and
support colleagues facing daily global crises.
4. explore the various avenues in which support is needed and interventions that are effective when colleagues face trauma on a national/global level.
5. analyze specific creative interventions that have been effective and culturally attuned to colleagues in a warzone and will experience a collective grounding activity
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Wendy Bradley, MS, ATR-BC, CLAT

Wendy Bradley is an art therapist with over 24 years experience working directly with children and families in pediatric and
psychiatric hospitals, and in school-based systems. She has facilitated creative arts therapy and psycho-educational groups for children, teens and parents, and worked as a manager of an early intervention city-wide program for young children where she studied resilience in early childhood.
Wendy currently has a private practice in Connecticut where she works specifically with bereaved children, families in crisis, children in trauma and with mothers to support them in parenting. She was also an adjunct professor at Quinebaug Valley Community college, where she taught psychology, first-year experience and early childhood education courses for over a decade.

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Mary Jeppsen, PhD, LPC, LMFT

Mary Jeppsen has spent half her 16 year career working with children and teens in school-based and clinical settings. She has extensive training in Play Therapy, Trauma- Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Emotion Focused Family Therapy. Mary is in private practice and works with individuals and families now in Mobile, Alabama. Her main focus is healing and maintaining connection in relationships, and helping parents parent. Mary has raised eleven children of her own. Parenting such a large and diverse family makes her uniquely qualified to assist struggling parents and families. Mary has worked as a clinical supervisor for several years.

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Anna Kegeles, MA, ATR-P

Anna Kegeles is a New York-based art therapist with a passion for working with children of all backgrounds. Prior to her career in art therapy, she was an art educator and teacher, honing her skills in engaging young minds through creative expression. As a mother of three, Anna's own parenting journey has deeply influenced her approach to working with parents, as she understands firsthand the complexities and joys of raising children. Her commitment to helping individuals through art therapy, coupled with her firsthand experiences, allows her to create a safe and nurturing environment for children and families to heal and thrive.

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Nathalie Robelot-Timtchenko, MA-ET, LMHCA

Nathalie Robelot-Timtchenko is the Founder, Executive Director, & Board Member of First Aid of The Soul. Nathalie is a clinical
mental health counselor and expressive arts therapist focusing on supporting children, adolescents and adults with acculturation, displacement and trauma. Nathalie founded First Aid of the Soul in February 2022 after the full scale invasion of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

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Anastasia Titova, LPCC, MA-ET

Anastasia Titova is a California-based licensed professional clinical counselor and psychotherapist. With a career spanning 14 years,
she has worked in various settings, including inpatient, residential, and outpatient mental health facilities. She specializes in anxiety and depression reduction, stress management, and coping with trauma. Anastasia employs a trauma-informed holistic approach, informed by extensive training in evidence-based psychotherapy practices, mindfulness and expressive arts. In her practice, Anastasia, assist her clients with developing a safe and non-judgmental place for self-exploration and reflection on personal values, beliefs and actions. Currently, she is pursuing
her Ph.D. in Expressive Arts at the European Graduate School.

Day 2, February 4, 2024

The Restoration of the Self: Navigating Trauma Through Art and Mind-Body Healing

Psychological trauma and childhood attachment disruptions are often associated with emotion dysregulation, altered states of consciousness, dissociation, and a perceived loss of one’s sense of self.
This lecture will examine the neuroscience, the brain/mind/body correlations, and the artistic representation of five dimensions of consciousness: time, thought, body, emotion, and intersubjectivity. The restoration of the self through the integrated experience of these five dimensions of consciousness in the aftermath of trauma will be described.
Clinical case examples involving the use of art therapy and other mind/brain/body techniques will be utilized to illustrate relevant concepts.

Objectives:
The participants will:
1.  Be able to explore the correlation between psychological trauma, childhood attachment disruptions, and alterations in consciousness, examining emotion dysregulation, dissociation, and their effects on the sense of self.
2. Be able to delve into the five dimensions of consciousness—time, thought, body, emotion, and intersubjectivity—as avenues for restoring the self post-trauma.
3. Be able to analyze how the integrated experience of these dimensions contributes to the restoration of the self and explore their artistic representations in trauma recovery.
4. Be able to assess clinical case examples employing art therapy and other mind/brain/body techniques to facilitate trauma recovery and the restoration of the self.
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Ruth A. Lanius, M.D., Ph.D.

Ruth A. Lanius, M.D., Ph.D. is a Psychiatry Professor and Harris-Woodman Chair at Western University of Canada, where she is the director of the Clinical Research Program for PTSD.
Ruth has over 25 years of clinical and research experience with trauma-related disorders. She established the Traumatic Stress Service at London Health Sciences Center, a program that
specializes in the treatment of psychological trauma.

Ruth has received numerous research and teaching awards, including the Banting Award for Military Health Research. She has published over 150 research articles and book chapters focusing on brain adaptations to psychological trauma and novel adjunct treatments for PTSD.
Ruth regularly lectures on the topic of psychological trauma both nationally and internationally.

Ruth has co-authored two books: The Effects of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease: The Hidden Epidemic and Healing the Traumatized Self: Consciousness, Neuroscience, Treatment.
Ruth is a passionate clinician scientist who endeavours to understand the first-person experience of traumatized individuals throughout treatment and how it relates to brain functioning.

Emotional Inheritance and How Can We Creatively Break It

This presentation delves into Emotional Inheritance, revealing how intergenerational silenced experiences shape lives. It explores trauma layers across generations—grandparents', parents', and personal trauma—manifesting as dissonance between aspirations and realities, impacting mental and physical health. Neuroscience advancements validate these observations, spotlighting epigenetics' role in modifying gene expression in trauma survivors' descendants. Relationships amid intergenerational trauma are examined, uncovering an unconscious drive for healing within intimate connections. Reparation emerges as a powerful, creative impulse, aiming to mend familial wounds and foster hope. However, it distinguishes between productive reparation, fostering healing, and manic reparation —a cyclical, unattainable pursuit. This presentation navigates the impact of emotional inheritance on healing, emphasizing the complexities of intergenerational trauma and the transformative potential within intimate connections.

Objectives:
Participants will:
1. Be able to analyze and explain the interconnectedness of emotional inheritance, recognizing how silenced experiences across generations impact individuals' mental and physical health.
2 Be able to explore the the transmission of trauma across three generations.
3. Be able to differentiate between productive and manic forms of reparation within familial and intimate relationships amidst intergenerational trauma.
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Galit Atlas, Ph.D.

Dr. Galit Atlas is the author of the international bestseller Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients and the Legacy of Trauma (translated into 26 languages).

She is a psychoanalyst and clinical supervisor in private practice in New York City, and a faculty member of the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. Dr. Atlas has published three books for clinicians and numerous articles and book chapters.

Her New York Times publication “A Tale of Two Twins” was the winner of a 2016 Gradiva Award. A leader in the field of relational psychoanalysis, Dr. Atlas is a recipient of the André François Award, the Gradiva and the NADTA Research Award. Atlas teaches and lectures throughout the United States and internationally.

Trauma Treatment and Art Therapy (TT-AT) . A Protocol for Brief Trauma Treatment

This presentation addresses the critical gap in mental health resources, particularly in countries with limited access to long-term therapy and mental health professionals. It introduces the Trauma Treatment protocol (TT-AT), an approach developed by Paola Luzzatto using the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) six patient’s symptoms and needs. Unlike traditional methods focusing on trauma exposure, TT-AT prioritizes addressing these six specific needs, as underlined by ISTSS.
The protocol's implementation spans continents currently, reaching Africa and Europe. A case study featuring two patients exemplifies the effectiveness of TT-AT, showcasing its applicability to both PTSD and Complex PTSD symptoms.
Concluding, the abstract highlights ongoing advancements and the imperative for further research on the protocol's efficacy. It emphasizes the necessity of continued investigation and development to optimize trauma treatment strategies, particularly in regions facing resource constraints in mental health care.

Objectives:
At the end of the presentation, the participants will:
1.    Be able to synthesize the core principles of the Trauma Treatment protocol (TT-AT) and recognize its application in resource-constrained mental health settings.
2.    Be able to analyze the six steps of the protocol and their individual focus through presented case studies.
3.    Be able to explore the current implementation of TT-AT in Africa, examining the challenges and successes of applying this protocol in regions lacking mental health resources.

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Paola Luzzatto, Ph.D.

Paola Luzzatto has a first degree in Philosophy (Italy), a Master in Education (USA) and a Ph.D. in Comparative Religions (Nigeria). She then trained in Art Psychotherapy at Goldsmith College, London, and she had further training in Psychoanalytic Studies (Tavistock Institute). Paola Luzzatto worked with psychiatric patients (including Alcohol, Drug and Eating Disorders) in London for eight years.
She then worked at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY for ten years, developing The Creative Journey for cancer patients (Clinical Award 2004 from AATA). More recently she spent ten years as Honorary Lecturer in Tanzania (2015-2022) where she developed the Autobiographic Protocol for Substance Use Disorders, and the Trauma Treatment protocol (TT-AT), which are now applied also in Europe.
Paola Luzzatto has written several articles in professional journals, the biography of the Austrian artist Susanne Wenger; a book on the Art Therapy Method and some Fairy Tales and Myths for children.


Working with Adversity: Art Therapy Intervention for Parent-Child Dyad

The concept of Parent-Child-Dyad art therapy is an art therapy intervention developed by Lucille Proulx, where both parent and child collaborate on the same ground in creating artwork. This method is born from the necessity of creating a secure base where both the parent and child can experience a special enjoyable moment of  togetherness. It seeks to fortify or rebuild connections between children and parents, providing a safe platform for the expression of unresolved parental conflicts and the functionnal emotional developmental capacities of children.
In her comprehensive exploration, Lucille Proulx delves into various theoretical dimensions of dyad art therapy, encompassing attachment theories, the nuanced roles of parents and art therapists within these interventions, and the significance of tactile experiences.
Additionally, Proulx expands on the potential of dyad art therapy in parent-child relationships, outlining its application across diverse age groups. This presentation will be complemented by short case studies and practical tools to apply in your practice.

Learning objectives:
Participants will be able to:
1.    Explore the theoretical underpinnings of Parent-Child-Dyad art therapy as developed by Lucille Proulx, including its origins, the rationale behind involving both parent and child in collaborative art-making, and its alignment with attachment theories.
2.    Gain insights into the practical implementation of dyad art therapy techniques aimed at fortifying or rebuilding connections between children and parents.
3.    Analyze tailored dyad art therapy interventions across diverse age groups. Understand how the approach adapts to meet the unique developmental needs of children while concurrently enhancing parenting skills, and learn practical tools and case studies to apply within professional practice.
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Lucille Proulx, MA, ATR, RCAT, ATPQ

Lucille Proulx, MA, ATR, RCAT, is a registered art therapist in both Canada and the U.S.A.  with 4 decades of experience working with Attachment informed art therapy with children and parents in the community, private clinic and in the department of infant and child psychiatry at The Montreal Children’s Hospital.
She is  co-founder  and past  Executive  Director of The Canadian International Institute of Art Therapy (CiiAT) and the past  Executive Director of the International Programs of Art Therapy in Thailand (IPATT) and Japan Japanese Internation Program of Art Therapy in Tokyo (JIPATT).She is the past Executive Director of The B.C. School of Art Therapy (BCSAT). Lucille is an Honorary Life Member of The Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA) and The Association des Arts-Therapeutes du Quebec (AATQ).  She conducts specialized training workshops in Attachment Informed Art Therapy for professionals and parents in Canada, across the United States and abroad . In 2004 she became a CUSO-Canada, Cooperant and was assigned to the Center for the Protection of Children’s Rights in Bangkok Thailand, to introduce art therapy to mental health professionals working with traumatized children and founded IPATT.  Lucille is an Exhibiting artist an Active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.  She is the author of Strengthening Emotional Ties through Parent-Child-Dyad Art Therapy, published by Jessica Kingsley Publisher, London, England and translated and published in Hebrew by Ach Publishing House, Israel, and translated into Arabic and published by Nour.Elmaarej Publishers, Cairo, Egypt.  Her second book, Attachment Informed Art Therapy: Strengthening Emotional Ties Throughout the Lifetime, was published in 2017 by Tellwell, Canada, and Nour.Elmaarej, Egypt.  She has been invited to write chapters included in many art therapy publications. 

From Cradling to Thriving: Art Therapy in Times of Adversity, and the Subtle Role of Neuroaesthetics

Pre-pandemic, teachers in disaster and conflict areas around the globe have had to respond to the needs of their students. Schools, as we know, offer students a sense of normalcy during times of adversity. As a result, teachers carry the load of finding creative ways to provide psychosocial support for those they care for while dealing with their own distress.
During the pandemic, 80% of teachers in the Philippines had almost no access to the internet from their own homes yet were required to teach their students remotely.
This presentation tells the story of the evolution of an arts-based psychosocial support program, pulled from the fields of art and expressive arts therapy, implemented globally, and offered to public and private school teachers in the Philippines before, during and after the pandemic. A focus on specific activities will also illustrate the subtle role of neuroaesthetics in providing a healing, cradling experience for teachers.

Objectives:
At the end of the presentation, the participants will:
1.    Be able to enumerate the multifaceted challenges faced by teachers in disaster and conflict areas, exploring the burden of providing psychosocial support to students while managing their personal distress
2.    Be able to analyze the unique predicament faced by Filipino teachers during the pandemic, investigating the difficulties of remote teaching in areas with limited internet access.
3.    Be able to explore the evolution and impact of an arts-based psychosocial support program implemented for teachers in the Philippines, examining specific activities drawn from art and expressive arts therapy.


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Maria Regina (Gina) A. Alfonso, Ph.D., MSEd, ATR-BC, LCPAT

Maria Regina Alfonso began her career in teaching and social development in hard-to-reach communities in the Philippines in 1990. She shifted to mental health in 2004 and has since been practicing as a clinician / art therapist / expressive arts therapist in multiple contexts.

Being both a teacher and therapist, the focus of her work has been in support of teachers who aim to make the arts central to both how they teach and how they encourage resilience-building in their classrooms.

She is the founder and Director of Magis Creative Spaces and The Arts and Health Institute Philippines. Gina has a Masters in Education from Fordham University, a Masters in Art Therapy from Lesley University, and completed her doctorate at the European Graduate School.

Pioneering Art Therapy in India: A Resilient Work with Adversity

Oihika reflects on her pioneering journey introducing art therapy in India, a realm where it previously didn't exist. Her experience navigating adversity embodies the broader migration of art therapy to a new cultural landscape. Delving into the ethical dimensions of pioneering, she presents highlights and challenges along the road, culminating with a creative video from her doctoral program, encapsulating the ethical dilemmas inherent in such groundbreaking work. This introspective journey offers insights into the challenges and triumphs faced while spearheading an innovative approach merging Western theories learned in the art therapy program, within the Indian cultural context. The discussion culminates with the contemplation of ethical considerations, providing a fitting conclusion to the interview, encapsulating the complexities and ethical nuances of pioneering art therapy in an uncharted territory like India.

Objectives:
At the end of the presentation, the participants will:
1.    Be able to identify the challenges and complexities faced when introducing art therapy to a cultural context where it was previously non-existent, comprehending the broader implications of pioneering work within a new cultural framework.
2.    Be able to analyze and evaluate the ethical dilemmas inherent in pioneering endeavors, particularly within the realm of introducing innovative therapeutic practices like art therapy to a new cultural landscape
3.    Be able to derive lessons and strategies from Oihika's journey in pioneering art therapy in India, enabling them to conceptualize potential challenges and devise ethical approaches when introducing novel therapeutic practices or initiatives within diverse cultural contexts.


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Oihika Chakrabarti, DAT, MFA, RATh

Oihika Chakrabarti is a pioneering Indian Art Psychotherapist, with over two decades of clinical, developmental, rehabilitative, post-disaster/humanitarian and training experience, working in India and overseas. Oihika has a Masters in Fine Arts from Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan and in 1997, was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship by the Ministry of Human Resources, Government of India to pursue postgraduate training in Art Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK. On her return, she pioneered Art Therapy in India, spearheading the first Art Psychotherapy clinical service in India at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’s Child Guidance Clinic at Wadia Children’s Hospital, Mumbai in 1999. In 2004, she founded Manahkshetra Foundation (art for social change) to expand the scope of the field.
Oihika has a Professional Doctorate in Art Therapy from Mount Mary University, USA, and her doctoral research on decolonising the curriculum via pan-India consensus research aims to contribute to the creation of the first culturally relevant Masters in creative arts therapy in India. Oihika has contributed to numerous international publications on art therapy and is core faculty of art therapy on the PG Diploma Expressive Arts Therapy programme at St. Xaviers College, Mumbai.
Oihika is a Co-Founder and Chairperson of The Art Therapy Association of India (TATAI). She is a Global representative for the European Consortium of Arts Therapies Education (ECArTE) in India, a peer reviewer of Goldsmiths Online Journal, UK and an International Advisor to the International Association of Creative Arts in Education and Therapy (IACAET). She has been an International Mentor to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA).

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