Post-Conference Offerings

This presentation will enumerate the possibilities of art therapy practice in pandemic situations. Art therapy methods have been shown to promote coping with pandemic stress; stimulate activation of self-regulation to overcome emotional exhaustion; and strengthen personal resilience. Based on Dr. Lebedev’s research and practices, the concept of “Art Therapy Cleaning" will be introduced. “Art Therapy Cleaning” aims to reduce the negative consequences of traumatic pandemic experiences through the positive transformation of artworks. These concepts will be illustrated via brief case vignettes.

With the Covid-19 pandemic has come a second, shadow pandemic of disquieting grief, for the losses of persons, places, projects and possibilities that once contributed meaning to our lives, in a context that gives too little support for these often unrecognized and deeply unwelcome transitions.  In this brief presentation I argue for the usefulness of viewing grieving as a process of reaffirming or reconstructing a world of meaning shaken or shattered by bereavement and loss, and suggest the relevance of the expressive arts in (a) helping establish a safe “holding environment” for the practice of grief therapy, (b) processing and integrating the “event story” of the death of a loved one, (c) accessing and restoring a continuing bond with the deceased, and (d) revising one’s sense of identity in a changed social field in a way that is life-affirming.  I briefly illustrate the arc of this work with a sampling of my personal expressive arts projects undertaken during the pandemic, and encourage closer collaboration between art therapists and grief therapists that can deepen the creative engagement of both with clients as we seek to reconstruct their lives, as well as our own, in the shadow of loss.

This presentation will outline the challenges faced by survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic and their families. Effective ways to resolve these challenges and contribute to an individual’s return to an active lifestyle will be illuminated. The effect of "fear of life," a fear not directly related to the severity of somatic manifestations in COVID-19, will be explored. Art therapy techniques used in this work will be described.

This workshop will explore the traumatic impact COVID-19 has had on families especially youth who have been displaced from school. This disruption in routine has produced an increase in anxiety, isolation, and potential trauma for many youth. The development of arts-based interventions is essential for self-care and giving a voice for youth and caregivers to process emotions.

During this presentation the results of an empirical study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic which focused on strength and prevention in adolescent mental health will be offered. The study examined the basic principles of inheritance of traditional family values ​​and an adolescent’s interaction with them. Additionally, a functional treatment model integrating the use of art technologies with the processes of psychological support for families and youth will be outlined.

This session will provide practical application of creative strategies to cultivate community through motivational messages with practices based in evidence for kids, families, and supports impacted by COVID-19. Presenter will discuss innovative interventions and successful therapeutic strategies for implantation by providing examples of lived experiences that will re-energize participants work.

The COVID-19 global health emergency has globally impacted economic, social and family functioning. These impacts have disrupted nearly all aspects of family life for all within the family unit. Consequently, the COVID-19 crisis poses considerable risks in the fields of education, employment, and a family’s mental health. To avoid exacerbating intergenerational inequalities and to involve the family in building intergenerational resilience, the use of art therapy initiatives may be beneficial.

How can we support children growing up and living through the lasting period of pandemic stress? The session will cover practical experience and results of group work with children based on an art therapy program with elements of play therapy. The speaker will share her experience of group work with children showing  symptoms of increased stress during the pandemic and will talk about how group art therapy can prevent the progression of negative stress effects and increase emotional stability in children.

This presentation highlights the creative process and products of an art therapy peer-support group of grief and bereavement clinicians that took place during the pandemic. Presenters examine thematic trajectories expressed and explored in the group through the lens of meaning reconstruction and restorative retelling, and share lessons learned that informed their practices with youth and families. 

In this presentation, humanistic principles are emphasized within an adaptive approach to personality development.  Additionally, the possibilities of using art therapeutic technologies based on the potential of the sociocultural and natural environment to overcome stressful conditions will be examined. Both the theoretical substantiation of the indicated problems and therapeutic case examples will be highlighted.

The experience of using polymodal art therapy in the practice of distance counseling is presented. Examples are given for the use of art therapy during the Covid -19 pandemic and during the transition to pandemic recovery. Finally, the practice of using polymodal art therapy in individual and group work with family members will be demonstrated.

This paper will present clinical art therapy considerations for interventions from an innovative community workshop offered in Latin America by art therapy students from Mexico, Israel, and the U.S. Three Art Therapy directors of a collaborative international summer program will discuss how art therapy students were brought together to offer community interventions for various communities / foci in Latin America, offering a place to reflect on Covid-19 experiences, exploring cultural consideration of the pandemic and considering the ways art therapy can transcend barriers of physical space and times to serve communities worldwide.

This panel presentation on short stories of virtual healing and maintaining connection to clients through art therapy during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The authors promote coping skills and resiliency while maintaining self care working from home. Working with families and children as well as different community settings struggling through the pandemic.

This paper will provide arts-based research results on the experiences and resources of family resilience among English-speaking Caribbean families before and since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Art materials, images, and cultural considerations will highlight clinical interventions. Therapeutic interventions will explore strengths-based family art therapy approaches for Caribbean families.

This webinar will demonstrate eco-art practices. Eco-art practices incorporate modeling a safe environment of relationships.  Engagement with the natural environment reveals the landscape of the soul including self-attitude and relationships, as well as current needs and supporting values ​​in the context of COVID-19. The process of interacting with the gifts of nature enriches the sensory experience in conditions of isolation, restores one’s resources, and allows one to transfer the experience of a safe environment to the conditions of human life.

Art therapy can help you distract yourself from stressful situations, think positively, and relax. During this master class, art therapy techniques to reduce the impact of stressful situations on the human body will be presented. These techniques are applicable both for self-help for children and adults, and for the work of a specialist with families and youth.

During this workshop the issue of resilience, self-help, and prevention of professional burnout will be addressed. Professionals in helping professions have experienced identity crises during the COVID-19 pandemic. Creative self-help methods can positively affect psychotherapists’ experiences of life situations associated with the limitation of personal contacts, experiences of grief, and other professional challenges.

Participants will experience a protocol designed to curiously examine the present moment contents of the mind through conscious doodling and then select the most beneficial thoughts containing them into a positive setting to then integrate simply into habits of thought and behavior.

In this experiential workshop, participants are introduced to an art therapy peer-support group formed by Portland Institute clinicians during the pandemic. Presenters share the group's use of creative expression, exploration, and mutual support as the pandemic unfolded and evolved. Individual and group thematic trajectories are examined and grounded in the theories of meaning reconstruction and restorative retelling. Participants have the opportunity to create response art pieces to their own pandemic experiences, with theoretical concept discussion.