CONFERENCE POSTPONED
ITA’s 5th Annual Integrated
Creative Arts Therapy Conference
“Expressing the Unspeakable: Bringing Taboos to the Surface”
March 20 & 21, 2020
Expressing the Unspeakable: Bringing Taboos to the Surface will explore traditionally taboo subjects, such as money, politics, sex, religion, and ability. This conference will afford professionals and students an opportunity to connect and learn about clinical work, research, training, and representation within art, dance/movement, drama and music therapies.
CAT Week Registration (March 15 – 21): Use code CATWEEK2020
1-day pass $78.75 / 2-day pass $135
Learn more about Creative Arts Therapy Week
Standard Registration (February 21 – March 17)
1-day pass $105 / 2-day pass $180
Student Registration (January 7 – March 17): Use code EDUCAT2020
1-Day pass $60.90/2-Day pass $104.40
Late/Door Registration (March 18 – March 20)
1-day pass $126 / 2-day pass $215
CEUs: +$25.00 to registration fees
REGISTER HERE
CONFERENCE BROCHURE
Art Speaks: Open Studio
Take time to step away from presentations and make art as you reflect on the conference content. Hours of open studio will be posted at registration.
Surfacing as a Community: Group Closing
Join your colleagues in reflecting on the two days spent together before bringing all you have gathered back to your personal community.
Let’s Talk about Sex Panel
This panel of professionals will tackle the topic of sex, sharing their unique perspectives on how to embrace diverse sexual issues and practices while recognizing our own biases about sex. Our panel will speak from their experiences working with sexual disorders, sex, and neurodiversity and sexual practices of LGBTQIA+ individuals and members of the poly/kink community. It is our desire to facilitate an open conversation free of shame, guilt and judgement as we attempt to bring normalcy to what can sometimes be uncomfortable conversations.
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Haley Fox, M.A., LMHC/LPCC, Ph.D., ATR-BC/ATCS, MT-BC, REAT (Moderator)
Haley Fox is an artist-psychotherapist, writer, and musician, currently on the core faculty teaching masters and doctoral students in Counseling: Art Therapy at Adler University in Chicago. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and board certifications in music therapy and art therapy, and she is a registered expressive arts therapist and credentialed clinical supervisor. Dr. Fox has taught classes and seminars in sexuality at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, as well as for community groups, and her experience in the field includes working in treatment programs for sexual abusers (such as Minnesota’s civil commitment program for sexually violent predators between 2008 and 2014). She contributed a book chapter to Expressive Therapies for Sexual Issues (Chapter 4, Expressive Arts Therapy with Sexual Abusers, 2014) and has written an unpublished book on sexuality, focused on the myth of Eros and Psyche.
Matthew Amador, LSW
Matthew Amador, LSW is a clinical therapist at LifeWorks Psychotherapy where he works with people inhabiting sex- and gender-expansive spaces. While working with Chicago House and Social Services Agency, he coordinated efforts to connect services to those re-entering society from incarceration. Matthew has worked extensively with underserved populations within the city of Chicago, particularly with the LGBTQIA+ community, people experiencing homelessness, and those living with HIV/AIDS. He holds a Master’s of Social Work from DePaul University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Speech from Northwestern University.
Heather Corinna, Founder, Director, Editor & Designer of The Scarleteen
Heather (they/them) is an award-winning queer feminist activist, author, educator, artist, teacher, organizer and innovator. Heather is the founder, director, designer and editor of the web clearinghouse and organization Scarleteen, the first truly comprehensive sex, sexuality and relationships education site and resource for young people of its kind. Heather and Scarleteen have provided millions of young people accurate and inclusive information and support every year for the last 20 years. Heather is the author of S.E.X: The All-You-Need-To-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties (DaCapo Press, 2007, 2017), now in its second edition; Wait, What?: A Comic Book Guide to Relationships, Bodies, and Growing Up (Oni Press, September 2019) with Isabella Rotman, for older middle readers and younger teens, and the forthcoming What Fresh Hell Is This? Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities and You — A Guide (Hachette/Lifelong, Spring 2021).
Alexa Ehrlich, MA, AMFT
Alexa is a couple and family therapist who frequently works with individuals as well. She works with individuals and couples to best understand their sexual health and their relationship history. Areas of specialty include: exploring sexual identity/interests, infidelity, infertility, desire discrepancy, premature ejaculation, and erectile dysfunction. She has been trained in emotion focused couples therapy (EFT) and the Gottman Method, as well as being a certified Prepare and Enrich premarital counseling facilitator. She operates from a strength-based, mindfulness-based (MBCT), culturally sensitive, LGBTQIA+ allied, relational, values-based and narrative lens. She works to empower her clients to explore their desires, values and their identity in a non-judgmental atmosphere.
Leah Stark, MT-BC
Leah Stark, MT-BC is a music therapist in Indianapolis, Indiana, primarily working with individuals with developmental disabilities through the Medicaid Waiver. She has been a member of the poly/kink community for about 5 years.
Introducing Affinity Groups
Akash Bhatia, ITA Music Therapist and Conference Co-Chair speaks about the Affinity Groups we will be launching this year.
Meet our 2020 Keynote Conference Speaker
Britton Williams, MA, RDT, LCAT
Britton Williams, MA, RDT, LCAT, holds a master’s degree in Drama Therapy (NYU), and is a registered drama therapist and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist. She has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of settings including: schools, residential treatment facilities, domestic violence shelters, day treatment programs, and acute care. She currently works in private practice in New York City with adults and adolescents.
Britton’s work also extends to non-clinical settings. In this capacity, she uses drama therapeutic techniques with organizations, companies, schools, and universities to help guide and facilitate discussions on: cultural humility and awareness; implementing creativity in the workday for increased employee engagement, team-building, and productivity; and self-care.
Britton has published and presented on: the impact of assumptions, biases, and stereotypes on individuals, relationships and communities; creative and embodied approaches to clinicians’ self-assessment; and developing a relational-role theory framework and protocol. She is interested in processes that allow students and clinicians to use drama therapeutic and other creative interventions to illuminate and challenge their implicit assumptions in support of just practice. Britton is pursuing her doctoral degree in the PhD Program in Social Welfare at the Graduate Center (CUNY) where she will be a member of the inaugural Mellon Humanities Public Fellows cohort.
Continuing Education Units
Presenters and attendees can receive up to 12.5 continuing education units (CEUs) by attending any or all of the conference presentations. The CEUs are sponsored by the Institute for Therapy through the Arts and approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to provide CEUs for LCPC, LPC, LCSW, LSW, and Psychologists in the state of Illinois. CEUs for R.Ns, Licensed Nursing Home Administrators, Physical Therapists, Registered Dieticians, and Occupational Therapists will be sponsored and provided by Elderwerks. In order to receive your certificate please be sure to sign in at the registration desk and return your completed evaluation for all programs attended. CEUs will not be processed without the signature of the attendee on the sign in form and a completed program evaluation form. Board Certified Music Therapists may claim 12.5 credits as a non-approved educational course. Please refer to the CBMT Recertification Manual for required documentation for non-approved CMTEs.
Hosted By
1818 Maple Ave., Evanston, IL 60201
Discounted hotel room rates are available for Conference attendees by using the group code ITA.
Rooms must be booked before Thursday, February 27, 2020 to guarantee the discounted rate.
The Hilton Garden Inn North Shore Evanston and is accessible and ADA compliant.
Please see the Hilton Garden Inn website for list of accessible amenities, located directly above “Rooms & Suites” section: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ordevgi-hilton-garden-inn-chicago-north-shore-evanston/
SPONSORSHIP BROCHURE
This conference will bring together creative arts therapists, healthcare and mental health professionals, and students from all over the country. Take advantage of this opportunity and reach thousands across the region through our marketing campaigns! Last year nearly 200 professionals and students registered for this event, and we hope to grow this year with your support.
Click here to submit your sponsorship form online.
5th Annual Integrated Creative Arts Therapy Conference is Sponsored by
