On March 29 & 30, 2019, ITA celebrated the 4th Annual Integrated Creative Arts Therapy Conference, Standing with Our Neighbors: Embracing Inclusivity and Celebrating Diversity. This event is one of few conferences of its type throughout the United States. Over the course of two days, more than 160 leaders and professionals from the Creative Arts Therapy and Mental Health fields gathered at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago to learn and connect.
The first day included riveting presentations by keynote speaker, Sangeeta Swamy, PhD, MT-BC, LPC and special guest presenter, Peter Himmelman. In Dr. Swamy’s keynote Cultivating Mind, Heart, and Spirit: Six Qualities of the Culturally Responsive Healer, she explored pathways for clinicians to deepen their knowledge of cultural understanding and attentiveness. Peter Himmelman facilitated the creation of a group song through his interactive presentation, bringing together elements of music, story, and art.
Day two welcomed a new day of presentations, including a special panel, The Art of Neurodiversity, with Matt Bodet, Len Upin, and Genevieve Nutley. The presentation explored the connection of the panelists’ neurodiversity and artmaking.
We could not have organized this conference without the leadership and facilitation of our Conference Chairs, Akash Bhatia and Dr. Marni Rosen. Thank you for your hours of planning and dedication to this event. We are also grateful to our sponsors: Valparaiso University, Renewal Care Partners, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Aloria Health, Generations Healthcare, and SIR Management.
Don’t miss next year’s conference, Expressing the Unspeakable: Bringing Taboos to the Surface, which will be held March 20 and 21, 2020 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Evanston. Visit the conference page for updates on this annual event.
