If you cannot attend the Live Presentations via Zoom, the recordings will be available for you to watch at your convenience for up to 2 months.

Full Presentation Descriptions

Focusing and Sandtray Practices in the Expressive Arts Therapy Tradition
Deborah Armstrong, Ph.D., LMFT-S, RPT-S, REAT, REACE, CFP

This presentation will introduce participants to Focusing and Sandtray, along with their integration with expressive arts. It will include a brief overview of the historical and more recent legacies that have provided the foundation for these approaches to be respected and practiced in the field of psychotherapy. Both directive and nondirective approaches will be presented, along with recommended materials for practicing Sandtray in therapy. There will also be a brief discussion on how Focusing, Sandtray, and Expressive Arts Therapy are experiences that foster neural integration within the body-brain, and how that is a critical ingredient to cultivate wellbeing.
An experiential component will be offered, including: Focusing to access a felt sense, extending and deepening it through Sandtray, and allowing the embodied call to unfold further through expressive arts. The presentation will conclude with an opportunity to ask questions or share about curiosities.  

Note: Due to the expansive nature of these topics, please be aware that working with Focusing or Sandtray requires more than this kind of introduction and is more about dipping one’s toes into the landscape, rather than swimming in the deep ends.

Exploring the Expressive Therapies Continuum as a Framework for Creative Arts Therapies
Lisa D. Hinz, Ph.D., ATR-BC®

This presentation invites participants to engage in an in-depth exploration of the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC), guiding them through its concepts with both intellectual insight and creative engagement. Through carefully structured instructional material, participants will gain a clear understanding of the ETC and its practical applications in expressive practices. The presentation will also include an illustrative art-based experiential exercise, offering an opportunity to directly engage with the concepts being presented. Real-world case studies will further enrich the learning process, demonstrating how the ETC can be applied, deepening participants’ understanding through practical examples. Dedicated time for questions will create a collaborative learning environment.