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Brayan Montes-Terrazas
Remember Them
2022
2048 x 2048
made on procreate with the iPad Pro
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Dear Colorado Art Therapy Association Members,
In 2023, the Colorado Art Therapy Association is excited to connect with you and the communities we serve. Together, let's engage, educate and unite through art therapy!
Support art therapy advocacy efforts by renewing your membership today, serve on our board, attend events, present on a topic at our Annual Art Therapy Conference and volunteer with us. Through your support, we can make a difference through art therapy for our Colorado communities.
Our future depends on how much we work together to support one another. Thank you for being a part of Colorado Art Therapy Association. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
Lara K. Rutledge
President, Colorado Art Therapy Association
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Art Therapist in the Spotlight: | |
Leara Glinzak, ATR-BC, MSAT | |
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Leara Glinzak, ATR-BC, MSAT is a Board Certified Art Therapist, Owner of I Light LLC, the Palliative Care Inpatient Board Certified Art Therapist at UCHealth Anschutz Campus, and adjunct faculty at Edinboro University in the graduate art therapy program.
Leara is grounded in a person-centered model and is heavily influenced by existentialism, logo therapy, and spirituality. As a result of her passion for advocating the benefits of receiving art therapy services which have led her to have her research published and a book review to be published in the peer-reviewed Art Therapy Journal of the American Art Therapy Association.
She has developed two internship programs, and is a nationally known presenter and workshop facilitator in the field.
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Honoring Black Art Therapy Pioneers
During Black History Month
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Art Therapy Support from Colorado to Ukraine | |
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By Diana Dykyj, LPC, ATR-BC
As a Ukrainian American art therapist, my response to the war in Ukraine is challenging to translate into words. Since Russia invaded on February 24 th , 2022, I’ve been processing through art and using my creative work as a platform to raise awareness and generate funds to provide much needed resources
for the Ukrainian people. It is through this process that I connected with DTCare at the American Art Therapy Conference in Minneapolis this past November.
DTCare is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization that provides global support in times of need. They began working with Ukrainians after Russia invaded and provide ongoing resource support as the war continues. As the war stretched into the year, it became clear that Ukrainians needed mental health support to help civilians and defenders heal from the trauma of living in war.
By coordinating with the Ukrainian Navy, DTCare established an art therapy program in Odesa to begin meeting this need. The program houses five Ukrainian art therapists who meet with military families and returning soldiers.
|  | Image: Ukrainian art therapists sharing imagery using tree metaphors to identify personal strengths and resources. | |
A team of American art therapist volunteers meet weekly with the Ukrainian team, alternating weeks of
providing peer support/consultation with professional development workshops. As a part of this team, I provide training workshops to support our Ukrainian art therapists in building trauma-informed skills to inform their art therapy practice while navigating the shared traumatic reality of experiencing the war themselves.
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Image: Ukrainian art therapists work around internet outages by connecting through a smartphone app as they explore mask-making as an intervention with returning soldiers. | |
The determination and resilience of Ukrainians are illustrated each time we connect. Despite the internet outages that are a direct result of Russian attacks, the Ukrainian team meets weekly without fail. Art is made by candlelight during power outages, winter layers are worn for warmth, and folks relocate to community spaces to access generators if needed. Ukrainians are incredible. I am humbled each time we connect and share resources, doing so despite all Russian attempts to interfere. It is such an honor to provide this support to Ukrainians as they are fighting for their freedom.
As the need for mental health support continues, DTCare is working to expand art therapy programming by hiring additional Ukrainian art therapists and opening a second location that will focus more on art therapy services for women, children, and internally displaced people in Odesa. They are also planning to begin art therapy programs with orphanages and Internally Displaced Person centers in other areas of Ukraine.
For more information:
DTCare and their work in Ukraine: https://www.dtcare.org/ukraine-relief
The Charitable Fund of the Navy of Ukraine: https://bfvms.com.ua/https:www.facebook.com/cfnavyua/
Want to get involved?
Contact Courtney Robson at: courtney.robson@dtcare.org
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RestART Studios, Local Art Therapy Nonprofit
Makes Their Mark in Longmont
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By Amanda Holst LAC, LPCC, ATR-P
restART studio | Executive Director
A new Colorado nonprofit art therapy program, restART studio, is making its mark in the community! RestART studio is a Longmont-based art therapy program that serves youth who have had police contact.
Participating justice-involved youth are given the opportunity to divert from traditional juvenile justice experiences by engaging in art therapy at restART studio as an alternative and more restorative response.
Earlier this year, restART studio’s mural design, “The Best View Comes After a Hard Climb”, was voted as one of the winners in the Longmont Shock Art competition. In Spring 2023, restART studio youth will begin painting their mural on an electrical box in Longmont.
The mountains in the mural remind restART studio clients and all justice-involved youth that they can grow and learn from their struggles.
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It gives them the confidence and ability to face any obstacle that is put in their way on their journey to building healthy coping skills. By climbing and conquering their "mountains," the youth can heal from their mistakes, regain control of their lives, and develop new self-understanding and self-love.
The meaning behind the mural has the potential to point towards social change, challenge the stigma of those involved in the justice system, and develop a sense of empathy in the viewer.
Follow restART studio on Instagram @restARTstudioCO to see painting progress!
To learn more about the Shock Art competition visit, Art in Public Places, Longmont.
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A Warm Welcome to New Board Members | |
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Peer Consultation Janis Alicia Wille (she/her)
MA, LPC, RYT
Janis is an Expressive Arts Therapist at her private practice called Creative Conscious Connections LLC. She works primarily with women/womxn and offers Expressive Arts Therapy and Empowerment Mentoring.
Janis is also adjunct faculty at Boulder Prep High School where she teaches DBT and Expressive Arts skills to teens. In 2020 Janis created a women’s online program called WEWILDE: Women Empowering Women via Intuition, Love, Dance & Expression.
Currently, Janis is most passionate about facilitating Integral Sound Healing & Vocal Toning Circles to help reduce stress and increase confidence. In her free time, she and her husband facilitate bohemian style picnics and disco dance parties with their family business Boho Disco, LLC.
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Treasurer Rachel Duncan (she/her), MA
Rachel is a Denver-based Certified Financial Social Worker and Art Therapist who promotes financial healing through a mental health lens for adults who identify as neurodiverse.
She founded We Figured Financial Coaching in 2022 after searching for ways to integrate financial and business topics into the therapy room. She offers one-on-one therapy and coaching as well as workshops and presentations.
She has previously served on COATA as Chapter Delegate and Vice President and also chairs the board of Dream Big Wellness, an art therapy collective based in Seattle.
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Student Liaison
Erin Daugherty (she/her) MA Art Therapy candidate
Erin is a MA student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Transpersonal Art Therapy Program at Naropa University. Her passion for art comes from leaning into creativity for her whole life as a form of comfort and personal challenge.
Currently, Erin is most excited about bringing the healing creative process to others. Her excitement for personal connection, spiritual wholeness and advocacy makes her invested in Art Therapy as a growing field.
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Student Liaison
Kelsey Geiger (she/her) MA Art Therapy candidate
Kelsey Geiger is a MA candidate at Naropa University studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Transpersonal Art Therapy. She is deeply interested in the connection of mind, body, and spirit. She hopes to support clients by encouraging authenticity and helping them in discovering their what would be helpful on their own path of healing.
Kelsey has facilitated art as therapy groups and volunteered with those who have experienced grief and loss. Additionally, Kelsey is a Yoga Teacher and is currently interning with the Bridge Center for Play Therapy.
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A Special Note from Envision:You,
Colorado's LGBTQ+ Mental Health and
Substance Use Disorder Initiative
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Dear COATA community,
I hope this letter finds you well!
My name is Victoria Giles-Vazquez, LPC and I represent Envision-You, a local Colorado non-profit dedicated to addressing the unique needs LGBTQ+ people have when considering and accessing behavioral healthcare.
I would love to extend a personal invite to members of the Colorado Art Therapy Association (COATA) to participate in our LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Provider Training Program.
This training series focuses on bringing cultural relevance into working with LGBTQ+ clients in a behavioral health setting AND creating affirming and inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ clients.
In this time, LGBTQ+ affirming care is a clear need in the mental health field, especially when considering the current health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community and the impact felt in the aftermath of recent traumatic events, including the Club Q tragedy. We would love to collaborate with COATA to continue to empower behavioral health providers in supporting our community.
In efforts to make this training more accessible for COATA members, we would like to offer a coupon for a 25% discounted rate to take our training series - the coupon code is CAT2022. For more information about the training series and registration process, please visit the following link: LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Provider Training Program. We also offer a total of 10 CEs for both training levels for LPC, LCSW, and LP credentialed providers.
For more information or if you have any questions, please reach out to me at:
victoria.giles-vazquez@envision-you.org
Thank you for all the wonderful work you do as part of COATA!
Sincerely,
Victoria Giles-Vázquez, LPC
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LGBTQ+ Affirming
Behavioral Health Training
For CURRENT
COATA members only:
Be sure to enter code
[CAT2022] at checkout to save!
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Submit Your Proposal for Our
Annual Art Therapy Conference
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Submit a proposal to present at the Colorado Art Therapy Association Annual Art Therapy Conference on October 21, 2023.
Our 2023 conference is open to art therapists, art therapy graduate students and the public with a focus on art therapy and community-based work. In addition, we hope to showcase unique directions in the field of art therapy, social justice, equality, diversity and equity.
We welcome presentations based on research, best practices, stories of successful art therapy practice in community-based work, art therapy collaborations and more.
In addition, we are open to proposals regarding creative support for art therapists, mental health training and creative therapeutic modality as well as artist performance.
Proposals are due no later than April 3, 2023.
To submit your proposal, visit:
https://forms.gle/AdecNH8EFrCF7jBJ6
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Renew Membership Today & Receive Art Perks | |
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Did you know that current Colorado Art Therapy Association members can enjoy FREE admission to upcoming special exhibitions?
Renew your membership today!
Learn more about special exhibitions at Denver Art Museum here.
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About the Cover Artist, Brayan Montes-Terrazas | |
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Denver-based Artist Brayan Montes-Terrazas is better known by his alias YAMZ. Under YAMZ, Brayan’s unwavering identity-driven art stresses the importance of putting marginalized voices at the forefront of our conversations and the stories we tell.
He is driven by the essential need to tell the stories of his identity as an undocumented, queer person of color. Using art and design as the vessel to show others that they are not alone in the fight toward equity justice and sound mental health.
While he continues to develop the YAMZ: World of Color as both an art-based brand and community-driven organization, he maintains the principle that when we uplift marginalized identities through art we can heal, provide business solutions and bring each other up because representation matters and we must strive to build equity in the art and design fields.
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