Art and creativity have the power to heal, open up new means of expression, and bring greater meaning to our lives. Since 2012 I have used the Creativity in Therapy blog to share my knowledge and inspire other therapists to bring creativity to their work. The online courses will give mental health professionals a deeper understanding of the power of art in therapy, tools that they can use in their work to effect client change, and a stronger connection with their own creativity.

Keep reading to see which courses could support and strengthen the creative work that you are doing.

Fundamentals of Art in Therapy

Are you a non-art therapist who wants to better understand how to use art in therapy? "Fundamentals of Art in Therapy" is a self-paced 6-part online course that will give you a strong foundation in understanding the use of art in therapy to best help your clients. Through videos, readings, and hands-on art activities, you will learn essential information about choosing media and directives to support the needs of your clients. This course is intended for counselors and therapists that want to be able to competently and ethically incorporate art and creativity into their work. (6 APA-approved CEs may be available upon completion, see full course page to learn more.) Please note: This is not a certification in art therapy; it is intended to supplement your clinical work and should be used within your own scope of practice. Becoming an Art Therapist requires a master's degree in art therapy.

Register and learn more: Fundamentals of Art in Therapy


Creative Helpers: Supporting Through Art-Based Activity

Discover how creativity and art-based activity can enhance your work as a helping professional. This course was designed for all the helping and healing professional who want to be more creative in their work. "Creative Helpers: Supporting Through Art-Based Activity" will help you to understand the benefits of creativity and art, things you need to consider while facilitating creative activities, considerations in choosing media and activity, and different art-based activities that can support different goals and client/student needs. This online, self-paced course is approximately 7-hours of learning and art-making, including video presentations, self-reflection questions, and guided art activities.

Register and learn more: Creative Helpers: Supporting Through Art-Based Activity.


Fighting Burnout: Strategies for Self-Care and Creative Expression

Learn to use creative expression and other effective self-care strategies to manage your stress and prevent burnout. This course was designed for all helping professionals, both in the mental health fields and in other helping careers. "Fighting Burnout: Strategies for Self-Care and Creative Expression" will share what research shows us about the strategies that truly decrease stress and prevent burnout, as well as how creative expression and art can be part of your self-care routine. Art prompts in the course will help you explore your own stress and burnout, clarify your work-life goals, and help your create your own self-care plan. This online, self-paced course is approximately 4-hours of learning and art-making, including video presentations, self-reflection questions, and guided art activities. Certificate of completion provided that may be used for CE credit.

Register and learn more: Fighting Burnout: Strategies for Self-Care and Creative Expression


Finding Safety Within: A Way to Navigate and Soothe Anxiety

"Finding Safety within: A way to Navigate and Soothe Anxiety" was originally developed as a wellness workshop by Creative Healing Workshops and is now available as a CE course for clinicians and other helping professionals who want to support clients with anxiety. The course will review anxiety's purpose, benefits, and how to recognize when anxiety is no longer beneficial. The course will review the Autonomic Nervous System and how the body specifically responds when under threat. Compassion Focused-Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Art Therapy are introduced as therapeutic modalities to address anxiety. Participants will learn how to use mindfulness techniques and art making to reduce anxiety symptoms, and experiential activities will further participant confidence in using these interventions in their own practice. 1.5 APA-approved CEs available.

Register and learn more: Finding Safety Within: A Way to Navigate and Soothe Anxiety


Art in DBT: Coordinating Art-based Interventions to Build Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills

Coordinating Art Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) may offer clients more that what each treatment can offer alone. Wondering how coordinating visual art activities with DBT can enhance client benefits? This 6 hour program will review an approach and examples of strategic use of art-based interventions and DBT together, both in case planning and practice. An overview of DBT and traditional art therapy will be provided. Advantages of using these approaches simultaneously with child, adolescent, and adult populations will be identified. Participants will learn art-based interventions for children, adolescents, and adults to expand therapist applications in a variety of settings. Hands-on art tasks, using a variety of art materials, will further participant confidence in using art to build DBT skills in their own practice. 3 APA-approved CEs available. (Instructor - Jessica Heckwolf, LCMFT, LPAT, ATR-BC)

Learn more: Art in DBT

In-Person Workshop Series

The 6-part "Creativity in Therapy" workshop series is offered twice a year in Austin, TX. Topics include benefits of art in therapy, different approaches to art and the Expressive Therapies Continuum, your role as the therapist in facilitating art, how to choose media and directives to best help your clients, and ethical considerations. Consultation time is available at each meeting to discuss your own questions or client cases. A guided art experiential is part of every session with all art materials provided for you. 12 CEs available for Texas MFTs, LPCs, and Social Workers, accepted by TX Psychology board.

Visit the course page to learn more: Creativity in Therapy Workshop Series.
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Courses

Enroll today to bring the healing power of art and creativity to your work.

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Instructor(s)

  • Carolyn Mehlomakulu

    Owner/Instructor

    Carolyn Mehlomakulu

    I believe that art and creativity can be healing and bring meaning to our lives. As a therapist, I integrate art in to my work to help clients express emotions, uncover new possibilities, find joy and meaning, and experience the healing benefits of creativity. I am a Board Certified Art Therapist and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor. I am currently in private practice and work with children, teens, and young adults to overcome depression, anxiety, and trauma. I also have experience working in in-patient settings, foster care groups homes, community mental health, schools, and probation services. You can learn more about my work at www.therapywithcarolyn.com. I founded the Creativity in Therapy blog in 2012 as a way to share my knowledge and love of art in therapy with others. You can see the blog at www.creativityintherapy.com 
  • Jessica Heckwolf

    Instructor

    Jessica Heckwolf

    Jessica is a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist (LCMFT) and board certified, licensed clinical professional art therapist (LCPAT). She earned a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with Specialization in Clinical Art Therapy from Loyola Marymount University, graduating with honors. Jessica has 15 years’ experience working with adults, families, children, and adolescents in inpatient, community, residential, day treatment, and school settings in Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Boston. Jessica has taught art therapy courses and workshops in university, hospital and professional conference settings. Her work on coordinating art therapy and DBT was published in The Arts in Psychotherapy. Jessica’s treatment approach is rooted in family systems and psychodynamic theory. Additionally, she utilizes skill training based in dialectical behavioral therapy to foster lasting change towards healthy living and relationships. Central to Jessica’s psychotherapy approach is use of art making as an agent for insight and catalyst for change. Jessica currently works in private practice in Annapolis, MD (https://www.ultramarinecounseling.com/our-therapists). She is an active painter and loves whale watching.