Art Therapy training has long been shaped by polarities that no longer serve the profession. In fact, these false divides can hold us back from the impactful work made possible by our unique, naturally integrated skill set.

As a relatively young profession within the therapeutic landscape, Art Therapy continues to grapple with questions of professional identity and owning our expertise. Graduate programs can unintentionally limit students' professional mindset and capacity for growth by framing development as a series of choices:

• Are you an artist or a clinician?

• Do you practice "art as therapy" or "art within therapy"?

• Are you clinical or community-based?

These "either/or" narratives often continue after graduation, as professionals struggle to identify as either counselors or art therapists. The mental health profession can inadvertently reinforce these divides by emphasizing distinct professional identities in response to the realities of licensure, insurance reimbursement, and workforce demands. The result can be role confusion, a professional "double life," and difficulty clearly defining the unique value of Art Therapy to clients, colleagues, and the broader healthcare community. More importantly, these false divisions can unnecessarily constrain our clinical thinking, limiting opportunities to draw on the full range of skills our clients may benefit from.

This course breaks down these divides by identifying the micro-skills of both counseling and Art Therapy and demonstrating how they can be intentionally integrated without losing the unique strengths of either discipline. Using these micro-skills as a practical framework, participants will discover the flexibility and broad application of Art Therapy while embracing the reality that effective clinicians are multidimensional professionals not confined by a false dichotomy.

Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a scholar, educator, and practicing clinician, Dr. Christopher Belkofer will help participants elevate their practice and confidently own their integrated expertise. By weaving together diverse theories and clinical approaches with creativity and open-mindedness, participants will develop a framework that is clinically sound, art-based, and uniquely their own. They will learn to operationalize, articulate, and communicate the many skills they already use every day, but may have struggled to name. Rather than worrying about others who claim to "use art therapy" after minimal training, participants will leave with the language, confidence, and conceptual framework to clearly differentiate and advocate for their professional expertise in a time when their skills are needed more than ever.

Neuroscience continues to shape the future of mental health treatment, offering exciting opportunities to better understand the felt sense of emotions, attachment, trauma, memory, creativity, and healing. Yet for many practitioners, neuroscience can feel overly technical, jargon-heavy, or disconnected from the relational heart of therapy. Many art therapists feel that their training only glossed over neuroscience, and see the need for updated conceptual frameworks and brain-based interventions. Additionally, art therapists want to ensure that they can translate this learning directly to their clients in a meaningful and effective way, while still keeping the creative process at the center of their practice.

In this course, Dr. Christopher Belkofer, PhD, ATR-BC, LPC will draw from 20 years of clinical work, his seminal research in art therapy using quantitative EEG measures, and 17 years of training graduate students with neuroscience principles at the core of their practice. The course is designed for art therapists across all stages of professional development, from ATR-Ps building confidence in early clinical work to seasoned clinicians, supervisors, and art therapy educators seeking to strengthen their neuroscience-informed practice. Whether participants are looking to deepen clinical effectiveness, refresh outdated training, or expand their therapeutic framework, this course offers practical and accessible applications of contemporary neuroscience within art therapy.

Participants will leave with increased confidence in applying neuroscience-informed thinking to treatment planning, goal development, case conceptualization, and intervention design. By integrating contemporary neuroscience with art-based clinical practice, attendees will strengthen their ability to support clients with greater intentionality, insight, and effectiveness. The course emphasizes practical integration rather than theory alone, helping clinicians translate current brain-based research into meaningful, relationship-centered art therapy interventions.

Join therapist Hailey Wilson on Saturday, August 22nd from 9AM-11AM in the CLARA library space for this parent and child story time to help promote co-regulation. This two hour interactive group experience will focus on reading “The Invisible String Backpack” to support the transition back to school followed by an art activity. Open to families with children ages 3-7 years old.

Promote regulation and take a mindful fidget break with this one-of-a-kind sensory jar from Brush Box.

Therapeutic Values: Great for object identification, regulation, fine motor development, color recognition, and autonomous creating.

Includes:

Glue base

Bead Soup

Glitter

Extra Glue

Activator

Mixing Cups

Jumbo Mixing Stick

Guide

Intentionally crafted by CLARA’s Wisdom Collective member, Venice Williams, from Alice’s Garden Urban Farm.

When life feels like too much, sip your way back to center with Stress Less — a soothing blend of adaptogenic herbs and calming botanicals carefully crafted to help reduce cortisol levels and support your body’s natural stress response.

Formulated with:

Holy Basil, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, and Lavender

Introducing the CLARA Wellness Bottle — more than just a water bottle, it’s a gentle reminder to pause, breathe, and care for yourself. With the elegant CLARA logo etched on its calming blue glass, this reusable bottle is designed for those who believe in showing up for their mental health every day.

Each sip is a small act of self-kindness — a way to stay grounded, present, and connected to your well-being.