Congratulations to all MATA members who have been selected to present at the 2009 American Art Therapy Association Conference!

The Purple Crayon Directive: Drawing an Addiction Recovery Plan

Julie Kotler

With the current trend of shorter hospital stays, therapeutic groups for substance abusers must succinctly address recovery issues and strategies for success. The researcher examines the impact of a verbal metaphor on substance abusers artwork. The Purple Crayon directive provides insight into the patient’s coping and problem-solving skills.

If It’s Not One Thing It’s Another: Juggling the Ever-Evolving Expectations of Life and Profession

Jill Scheibler MA, ATR-BC, Kathleen Sutter MA, ATR, and Catherine Goucher ATR-BC, LCPC

This focus group is a forum for Gen X/Gen Y ATs, or others who consider themselves “betwixt and between”, to network and share concerns, frustrations, strategies for success, and issues raised by the interface of a professional identity in flux and a personal identity that is similarly in transition.

Celebrating Autism & the Individual: Self-acceptance and Community Membership Through Creative Expression

Jill Scheibler MA, ATR-BC and Catherine Goucher ATR-BC, LCPC

The authors will discuss using integrative arts to develop competencies and self-advocacy skills, to build community for young adults with autism, and will provide a framework of considerations gleaned from work in educational and community-based settings. Videos of autistic artists giving account of their artistic experiences will be showcased.

Rita Project Inc. - Community Open Studios for Suicide Survivors

Julia Andersen MA
, ATR-BC
Rita Project Inc. and the Rita Project Open Studio were founded in 2002 by Kim Strouse, and are devoted to using the arts to help survivors of suicide connect with the power of creation and, in doing so, foster transformation. This paper highlights the artwork of the Baltimore artists.

National and Global Art Therapy Research Initiatives: Collaborative Partnerships to Achieve Outcomes

Cathy Malchiodi Ph.D., ATR-BC, LPCC, HLM, Lynn Kapitan ATR-BC, and Tracy Councill MA, ATR-BC 

In summary, this panel presentation highlights how all art therapists can adopt a scientist-practitioner approach to research, envision national and international research collaborations, and contribute individually to data collection to make a difference on a large scale.

An International Art Exchange with the Middle East

Tracy Councill MA, ATR-BC


The International Art Exchange is a collection of over 200 works of art by pediatric hematology-oncology patients at cancer centers in the U.S. and the Middle East. We will present examples from the show using art therapy to build connections across cultures.

July 2009 - Calling all volunteers! Artscape is just around the corner! This year MATA will be located in the Target Family Art Park to raise awareness about art therapy in schools. We are looking for volunteers to help staff the event which will give children and adults the opportunity to contribute to a community art project of totem building with recycled and reused materials. If you’re available on July 17, 18, or 19 or for more information please email .

Access to the member's only section is one of the many benefits of being a MATA member. Please login through the form below to enter the MATA Members Only section.

MATA's Member's Only section includes exclusive access to recent job listings, our Membership Directory and minutes from Board Meetings, and other information specifically for MATA members.

Existing MATA members: please click here to sign up for members-only web access. Please be sure to include your MATA membership number.