Mikey is a Queer art therapist who graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA in fine art and an MA in Art Therapy and Counseling. Their art is informed by their community-driven social art practice, which incorporates fiber crafts, queer theory, and activism. Their artworks range from radical illustrations to embroideries to quilts to comics and a handmade plush toy line Mikey calls, “Yarnies!”

Mr. Anthon is an artist, art therapist and clinical counselor who worked in the field of art therapy for nearly 32 years. He developed a private practice that represented his core belief in the healing power of art making that was housed in a store-front art studio. He taught in the Graduate Art Therapy Department, at the School of Art Institute of Chicago and consulted at various agencies including: Better Existence with HIV; Center on Halsted; Test Positive Aware Network; Haymarket Center; Quetzal Rape Crisis Center; Safe Passage (Domestic Violence); and currently, Back to the Beat (art and music).

Dan has curated many art exhibitions of his own and his clients and facilitated useful community interactions that expanded conversations related to mental illness, substance use disorders, trauma, domestic violence, and HIV/AIDS. The Magic Carpet Ride: Art Therapy in the Real World is a book he is soon to submit for publication. The book illustrates the efficacy of art therapy predominantly through his own artwork, often done beside his clients.

Mr. Anthon is an active member of AATA, the Illinois Art Therapy Association (IATA) and the Florida Art Therapy Association (FATA). He has served as the President, President-Elect, Treasurer, and Local Conference Chair of IATA. Nationally, he served on the committee to create the first BC exam, on the AATA Art Committee as chair and member, and on the Ethics Committee. He co-facilitated one of the first AATA national art exhibitions in the Chicago Loop at the Thompson Center and performed at an opening session of the national conference at the Chicago Palmer House Hotel. He has also participated in AATA conferences, as a proposal reviewer and presenter.

Ray is a queer trans man and works as an art therapist with children and youth. He works frequently with trans youth, showing them how using art can assist with the coming out and transitioning process. He lives in Portland Oregon with his two spoiled cats.

Paulina Céspedes is a psychologist, executive coach, and entrepreneur. For the last 7 years she has focused her career on personal development and emotional growth after she created the FRAE Art Therapy Methodology, a 12-session program for emotional release and redefining life's purpose. She is also the Co-host of ArteTerapia en Español el Podcast, a Spanish Language podcasts that promotes Art Therapy and personal growth.

**REFLECTIONS ON ART THERAPY DURING THE AIDS CRISIS IN SAN FRANCISCO: A DISCUSSION, co-presented by Paulina, is not available via recording.**

Gioia Chilton is a registered and board-certified art therapist with over twenty-five years of experience in using the creative arts in healing. She holds licenses as a Clinical Professional Art Therapist (LCPAT) in Maryland and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) in Virginia. Gioia is also an art therapy scholar who is known for her award-winning research on the expression of positive emotions through art. She is co-author of the textbook, Positive Art Therapy Theory and Practice: Integrating Positive Psychology with Art Therapy. Gioia presents on art therapy internationally, lectures at The George Washington University, and currently works with military service members and their families. Gioia’s sunny disposition embodies the optimism of her work.

**Gioia hosted an ART EXPERIENTIAL which was not recorded.** 

Barry M. Cohen, a Board-Certified Art Therapist, has worked with medically ill adolescents and adult psychiatric patients. In 1982, while Director of Expressive Therapies at Mount Vernon Hospital, Alexandria, VA, he developed the Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS), a standardized art assessment in use worldwide.

Co-founder of a specialized treatment program for people with posttraumatic disorders in metropolitan Washington, DC, he founded and chaired the Eastern Regional Conference on Trauma and Dissociation (1989-1996) and later served as conference manager for the American Art Therapy Association (2006 & 2007). Executive Director of Expressive Media from 2008-2021, Barry founded the Expressive Therapies Summit:NY in 2010, and co-founded, with Dr. Eliana Gil, the Mid-Atlantic Play Therapy Training Institute, held outside Washington, DC, in 2013. In partnership with Ping Ho and her UCLArts & Healing, he added a Los Angeles Summit in 2017.

**The WELCOME, which Barry co-presented, was not recorded.**

Urania has a BA in Art Education from the University of Puerto Rico and an MA in Art Therapy from the University of Barcelona, Spain. I have been an art therapist since 2006 and have mainly worked with children in a variety of settings including mental health, pediatric oncology, pediatric hospital in general, schools and in my private practice with traumatized and abused children. Within mental health, I have offered Art Therapy to children and adolescents on the autistic spectrum, with ADD/ADHD, behavioral problems, depression, bipolar disorders, anger management, trauma and transgender teens struggling with acceptance. I am also a certified child life specialist working in a free-standing pediatric hospital since 2011. In this professional position I offer emotional support and education to children in clinical setting in order to create an emotionally safer space for the patients.

**LGBTQ...WHAT? AWARENESS, SENSIBILITY AND RESPECT, presented by Urania, is not available via recording.**

Heather is a licensed creative arts therapist. She views the collaboration between therapist and client as integral to developing a safe and trusting therapeutic alliance.

Michael Galarraga is a bilingual Spanish-speaker, Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Registered Art Therapist, Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider, and EMDR Certified. Since 2012, he has been a mental health provider and advocate in Central NY, VA, GA, and now the Philadelphia area. He has worked in various mental health settings serving diverse populations through residential treatment, acute inpatient care, alternative and regular education, in-home and community-based counseling, group private practice, and non-profit community programs.

Michael is currently a private practice provider in Philadelphia primarily serving individuals in the LGBTQIA+ Communities of Color. As a member of this often-marginalized community, he provides a safe and inclusive therapeutic space. Michael uses a blend of art therapy, EMDR, and traditional verbal counseling skills to support individuals’ mental healthcare.

Through his approaches and offerings, he has learned to blend empathy, support, equality, humor, and validation for those processing through unique life events. Michael is a Bronx, NY native who enjoys spending downtime with his partner and two dogs, Lantern and Ariel, cooking, and going on hikes. He also enjoys creating and celebrating his strengths through his own artmaking.

Estela has a MA in art therapy from NYU, and a BFA in Fine Arts from CCA. Docent and supervisor of art therapy at CEP. Art therapist in private practice. Postgraduate studies in Psychoanalysis and Gender Studies from APBA/Universidad Kennedy. Art therapist and art director at HIV Continuum, SF, CA, USA (1997).

**REFLECTIONS ON ART THERAPY DURING THE AIDS CRISIS IN SAN FRANCISCO: A DISCUSSION, co-presented by Alba, is not available via recording.**

Brian is co-founder and co-director of Harris and Long Psychotherapy. He holds a PhD in Expressive Therapies and is a faculty member at New York University and a core faculty member of the Kint Institute’s creative arts therapy and trauma certificate program.

April is a board-certified music therapist and the founder of Your Song Music Therapy, LLC in Chicago, IL. April got their music therapy degree at Eastern Michigan University with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies.

Alba Leal is the one of the founders of ArteTerapiaenespañol.com, a community of Spanish Speaking Art Therapists that promotes public policy, education and general awareness about Art Therapy in Latin America. She is an Art Therapist, and is pursuing her PhD in Organizational Psychology. Her goal is to bring Expressive Therapies into corporations as a means to prevent and mitigate burnout. She is also the Co-host of ArteTerapia enEspañol el Podcast, a Spanish Language podcast that promotes Art Therapy and personal growth.

**REFLECTIONS ON ART THERAPY DURING THE AIDS CRISIS IN SAN FRANCISCO: A DISCUSSION, co-presented by Alba, is not available via recording.**

Bianca is an artist, advocate, Board-Certified Registered Art Therapist (USA), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (USA). She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in mixed media and photography, later Bianca received her Master of Art in Art Therapy. She recently completed her term as the president of Hong Kong Association of Art Therapist and an Honorary Lecturer at University of Hong Kong.

Kristin Long is a drama therapist and psychoanalyst with a full-time private practice in New York City working with children, adolescents, families, and adults. Her doctorate degree is in Psychoanalytic Studies from the Parkmore Institute. She currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Institute for Expressive Analysis where she is also a faculty member/supervisor.

Kristin is especially interested in the therapeutic use of the body and ways to integrate expressive arts with psychoanalysis. She has taught Expressive Therapy with Children at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study and currently teaches in the Drama Therapy program at NYU. Kristin has completed training as an EMDR practitioner from the Parnell Institute and has a specific interest in the transmission of intergenerational trauma. She’s presented nationally and internationally on the importance of attunement within relational dyads, specifically around adolescent treatments.

Owner of Medicine Heart PLLC counseling services. Fatima has a M.A in Clinical Mental Health counseling with a specialization in Art Therapy, B.A in Studio Art, and a AA in Fine Art. Fatima’s therapy practice focuses on implementing art therapy directives, trauma-informed care, attachment-based theory, experiential, and person-centered theory.

**Fatima hosted an LGBTQ+ AFFINITY GROUP for reflecting on the event. There is no recording.**

Jude Regula is a drama therapist working in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. They have published on the efficacy of drama therapy in virtual spaces and the intersection of drama therapy and workforce development.

Jennifer Rozell-Whitaker received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MA in Art Therapy with a Specialization in Counseling from Seton Hill University. Jennifer is a Board-Certified Registered Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Pennsylvania.

Shannon Scott-Miller has over 20 years' experience in medical art therapy, including working with gender-expansive youth. She has a transgender daughter, and is based in Ohio, USA.

I am trained as a printmaker and have experience in most media, because I have been and have been a practicing professional artist for more than 40 years. My first masters Degree was from Columbia University in Arts Administration followed by years with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I am finishing my second masters degree from the CAAHEP accredited Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Masters in Art Therapy with an Emphasis in Counseling program, (MAAT) to be conferred in July 2021. My recent work in art therapy includes Juvenile Detention, an Opioid Treatment Program, and in-patient acute care (IPU) within a community mental health facility where I designed and implemented a weekend therapeutic program to fill a void in the patient environment. I am also a Certified Healthcare Worker (CHW) and a Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS)

As for my theoretical approach, I believe that the psyche determines our actions and a psychodynamic theory underlies my postmodern client-centered approach. I am always aware of my white male privilege and aspire to cultural competency, looking for intersectionality within a psychosocial perspective. I believe in the necessity of a client/therapist alliance.

Maro is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC-ICF) and Comprehensive Sexual Education Diplomate (Buenos Aires University), DEI advocate, bilingual speaker, facilitator, and passionate about cultural transformations towards collaborative, equitable, and inclusive human organizations. He has over fifteen years of experience in the IT business and currently supports people, teams, and IT global organizations in the agile transformation journey. Co-founder of a consulting company that helps people and organizations become truly inclusive and equitable.

**LGBTQ+ RIGHTS IN LATAM: A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME, presented by Maro, is not available via recording.**

Dana George Trottier is a clinical supervisor for Behavioral Health Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. He is an adjunct faculty member in the Program in Drama Therapy at New York University and maintains a private practice focusing on time-limited psychotherapy and embodied supervision. Dana is co-editor of the book Creative Arts Therapies and the LGBTQ Community, and has published on the topics of traumatic loss, embodiment in clinical training and supervision, and empathy in psychiatric rehabilitation.

He is currently a Healthcare Simulation Fellow with NYC Health + Hospitals/Simulation Center, exploring ways to integrate drama therapy theory and simulation methodologies. His current research as a fellow involves using embodiment, role training, and simulation methodologies to teach empathy skills to clinicians working with those who experience psychosis.

Zachary D. Van Den Berg, is pursuing his Master of Arts in Counseling: Art Therapy from Adler University in Chicago, IL (expected graduation June 2021), and received his BFA at the School of the Art Institute (SAIC). Currently, he is President of the Adler Art Therapy Student Association, founder of the international online forums Art Therapy Students Associated and Queer Creative Arts Therapies, a member on the Multicultural Committee and the Membership Committee of the American Art Therapy Association, an Intern for Special Projects for the American Art Therapy Association, and the volunteer coordinator and Film Library Committee Member for Expressive Media Inc.

He has written for the American Art Therapy Association Blog, and recently was published on the cover of the Art Therapy journal. Zachary has presented on student embeddedness within art therapy and facilitated various LGBTQ+ and student-based focus groups. Clinically, he utilizes a queer theory approach to art therapy, working mostly with kink, queer, and trans communities in Chicago.

**The WELCOME, which Zak co-presented, was not recorded.**

Pride 

Lyrah Wallace (they/them) 

Digital, 2021, 15" x 15"  

"Lyrah Wallace is an art therapist and counselor in training residing in Rochester, New York. Wallace has a background in studio art and graphic design, and works primarily with 2D and digital art materials. Wallace draws inspiration from fellow LGBTQ+ artists and activists, such as Robert Rauschenberg and Keith Haring, and their experiences as a queer and gender nonconforming individual are often present in their work."

Valuable Woman 

Yadyra Yánez (Ecuadorian-Panamanian) 

Acrylic on Canvas, 2013  

"Work selected by the National Institute of Culture of Panama) as a symbol of non-violence against women during the observation of the month against gender violence. This painting represents the pain of an assaulted woman, whose frustration at wanting to get out of her state and not being able to do so, makes her feel invisible, (white on white). She slowly recovers from frustration and fatigue, and constructs by herself a new woman. A valuable woman is reborn. With her tears, she transforms her invisibility from white to gold, thus, she becomes something with a great worth. Although gold is cold and hard, it is also malleable, and that is what women become- valuable beings, perhaps cold, perhaps harsh, but aware of our colossal worth."

Together 

Paulina Cespedes (she/her) 

Watercolor on Paper, 2021  

"My simple, beautiful and unique family."