Interview with the President of the Illinois Art Therapy Association, Mary Andrus, ATR-BC, LCPC

By Jeanette DeLalla, MAAT, ATR-BC, LMHC, AATANewsletter Editor

For this issue I had the pleasure of speaking with Illinois Art Therapy Association (IATA) President Mary Andrus, ATR-BC, LCPC.

Mary Andrus has been involved with IATA since graduate school. She works as an adjunct professor in the Art Therapy Department at Adler School of Professional Psychology, is the supervisor of clinical services at a Chicago community hospital, and has a private practice where she provides counseling, consultation, supervision, and education. For more information on Mary and her professional services, please visit www.art-therapist.org. Despite her busy personal and professional schedule, Mary kindly offered me her time to discuss IATA’s accomplishments and current goals. The following is an excerpt from that conversation.

How did you get involved in the field of art therapy?

In ninth grade, a teacher told me I should look into art therapy, so I did. My mom was a school psychologist and both my parents taught me the importance of helping others. My undergraduate degree is in music and art therapy. Thereafter, I continued on to graduate school at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where I studied art therapy with Don Seiden. I aspire to one day get my PhD in art therapy, teach as a full time core faculty in art therapy, and continue working in private .

What is your media of choice?

I have always enjoyed art making, and my media of choice varies depending on my mood. Recently, my passion has turned to short film production; these include videos of Don Seiden talking about art and life, a recent video of Harriett Wadeson for an exhibit through IATA, and a video featured on our new website illustrating the partnership of IATA with Fulton Street Collective. The videos I have begun making of Don are focused on his art making and the importance of encouraging others to make art. The most recent one I showcased was at the AATA conference in Savannah in the film festival entitled “Holding Water.”