ITA bids good luck and farewell to Drama Therapist Whitney Sullivan, LCSW, RDT. Whitney and her husband, Sully, are off to their next journey in Bloomington, IN. Whitney’s time at ITA began in January of 2005 as a Drama Therapy intern. After being part of our Operation Oak Tree, military programming, she officially joined the ITA […]
Music Therapy, the Medicine for Stroke Survivors
From the Washington Post: Before his strokes, Sipes, 57, was a professional musician. He played oboe in several symphony orchestras and met his wife, viola player Patty Plombon, in the early 1990s when both were members of an orchestra in Spain. … The music therapy sessions give Sipes — who said he used to sing […]
Music and Dementia
A Music Therapist’s Perspective on Using Music to Engage a Person with Dementia ITA Music Therapist Andra Duncan, MT-BC recently wrote a guest article for Dementia.org on six different ways that you can use music to engage your loved one with dementia. Andra discusses her firsthand experience with those who have dementia and seeing how the […]
ITA Board of Directors Puts the Annual Review into Song
In Our First Year at ITA… On July 7th, Executive Director Jenni Rook engaged ITA’s Board of Directors in singing a modified version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” a part of her annual report. Five of the board members were present and another dialed in to the meeting. Jenni provided instruments for the board […]
Introduction to Art Therapy for Clinicians!
An Art Therapist’s Perspective on the Use of Art in Treatment As an Art Therapist, it goes without saying that the making of art has a therapeutic quality. What may not be well understood outside of the field is that there are three therapeutic experiences happening simultaneously in the art-making process: the physiological, cognitive, and […]
ITA Presents Dance Therapy at the Joffrey!
ITA Presents Dance Therapy Tenets to Joffrey Dance Artists On June 22nd, ITA Dance/Movement Therapist Jessica Sittig had the opportunity to speak at The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. The Joffrey acts as one of America’s premier dance companies and has since its founding in 1956. The Joffrey’s performances range from classical ballet such as The Nutcracker to […]
The Chicago Community Trust Supports Creative Arts Therapy
ITA Receives a Grant From the Chicago Community Trust to Fund Services for Individuals with Disabilities We are extremely grateful to be the recipient of a GO Grant from The Chicago Community Trust. The Trust has funded ITA since 2011 and will continue to support creative arts therapy into our next fiscal year. Past grants […]
ITA Welcomes Summer Interns!
ITA Welcomes 4 New Administrative Interns This summer, we welcome four new administrative interns to the ITA team. They will be helping out around the office and learning about the creative arts therapies! We are excited to have them here! Summer Brunson Summer is from Skokie, Illinois. Come fall, she will be a junior at the […]
ITA Staff Training with Corky Siegel
The Connection Between Music and Emotion as it Applies to Music Therapy On June 17th, the ITA staff had the pleasure of meeting and working with Chicago-based blues musician Corky Siegel. Corky is regarded internationally as one of the greatest blues harmonica players—along with a slew of other musical talents—so we were extremely lucky to have […]
My New Friend, Mr. Hobman: An Intern’s Experience Working with Anxiety
Learn how ITA’s internship provided an opportunity for a young man to learn how to cope with symptoms related to his disability, including anxiety Hello, my name is Ben Auerbach, and I am an administrative intern here at ITA about to finish my internship. I am currently on leave from New York University, at […]