Cultivating Identity Creatively at Adler University in Downtown Chicago
Last month, we celebrated ITA’s Third Annual Integrated Creative Arts Therapy Conference, “Cultivating Identity Creatively.” Over the weekend of June 8th, more than 115 mental health professionals gathered together to share the latest in research and cultural competency from the Creative Arts Therapy community. Thanks to Adler University’s generous donation of space, ITA was able to host dozens of panels, workshops and presentations given by the leading voices in the field in a convenient and beautiful downtown Chicago location.
One of the highlights of the conference was our incredible and highly respected keynote speaker Lisa Hinz, Ph.D., ATR-BC, who presented “Introduction to the Expressive Therapies Continuum: A Framework for Using Art in Therapy.” This form for “arts making behavior and visual expression with corresponding brain structures and functions” is a clear, concise, and enables clinicians to find their own voices and identities while working within an evidence-based structure applicable to any creative arts modality.
Another memorable feature from the 2-day event was Mike Vinopal’s and Aaron Coleman’s BEATkeepers: Help Keep the Beat, during which a collaborative effort toward a musical composition was made. With the help of their audience, Vinopal and Coleman conducted and produced, “You All Move Me”, a unique melody that is available for listening via Google Drive. The track features the workshop participants reciting a mantra together as well as recorder performed by James (one of the session attendees) live! Click on the link to hear the group in song.
ITA is most grateful for its Practice Director, Clinical Psychologist, and Board-Certified Registered Art Therapist, Dr. Marni Rosen, who played an integral role in curating and facilitating the conference. As she continues to spearhead this tradition, she reflects on the importance of this annual event: “This conference continues to be a meeting place for collaboration and network. It has already this year facilitated job introductions, research replication, and joint writing projects.”
Plans for ITA’s 4th Annual Integrated Creative Arts Therapy Conference are already underway. If you would like to attend next year’s conference, join us on March 29-30, 2019 at Adler University Chicago Campus. We look forward to having you help us shape the future of the Creative Arts Therapy field.