An Introduction to Art Therapy
Art Therapy
Art therapy is a mental health profession that relies upon the viewing and making of atrwork to guide participants through exploring and resolving conflicts, symptoms, and areas of concern. Art therapy has been around for fifty years and has developed over the course of those years into a masters level mental health profession. Art therapists work in a wide range of settings and with a variety of populations. From VA hospitals to museums, prisons to schools and everywhere in between. Raquel has even used her art therapy skill to create homeschool curriculum, start an alternative education center and help plan and implement and evaluate a city-wide public art project.
Art therapy for individuals and groups
Art therapy is a powerful tool for exploring challenging issues and can be utilized in group or individual settings.
Art therapy programming for communities and organizations
You can use art therapy to help with team building and professional development efforts at your public agency or private firm. Art therapy can serve as a tool and vehicle for community engagement, public art project development and design, and much more. Call me for ideas and check out the Press and Publications tab for examples.
Press and Publications
Raquel's interviews, articles and more
Stressed about the Capitol Attacks? Tools to help cope from a trauma art therapist. American Art Therapy Association. January, 2021.
Healing After Tragedy. Bloomberg Philanthropies
To learn more about Raquel's work at Coral Springs Museum of Art helpiing the community after the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas:
CNN (click here to watch the CNN interview)
Buzzfeed News (click here to read the article)
WLRN (click here to read the article and hear the radio clip)
SoFlo Health (click here to watch the video, it begins at the 12 minute mark)
To learn about Raquel's work in education and with students with special needs:
Parenting Special Needs Magazine
To learn about Raquel's past work using art therapy helping clients in substance abuse treatment centers:
2018, Art for Warriors: A museum based art therapy program for veterans. Panel presentation at 49th annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association.
2018, Art therapy responses after community mass violence. Panel presented at 49th annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association.
2019, Careers in the Arts. Frank Museum- Pembroke Pines
September 13, 2019. An Introduction to Art Therapy. City of Pembroke Pines, Arts Education Week.
October 31, 2019, Inspiring Community Healing after gun violence: An art therapy and public art collaboration. To be presented at the 50th annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association.
In addition to the above recent and upcoming presentations Raquel has presented numerous times on art therapy at in service presentations at local organizations, for mental health professionals in her home country of Trinidad, at exhibit openings and at a regional conference on aging.
Professional Publications:
Articles, Book Chapters and more
Raquel has co-authored two articles in South Florida's Autism Notebook magazine and is currently working on book chapters for books on art therapy with veterans and art therapy and community trauma. Past publications include a book chapter in - Silver Drawing Test and Draw a Story and an article in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Art Therapy
Professional Membership Organizations
Florida Art Therapy Association
Past President
Current member
American Art Therapy Association
Secretary
Former Chair of Marketing and Communications Committee
Former Chair of Conference Committee
Current Professional Member