09:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Annual General Meeting (free)
Zoom Link
12:00 p.m. - 13:00 p.m. -
Lunch break
13:00 p.m. - 14:00 p.m. -
Conference:
“The Evolution of
Professional Identity: A Personal Journey”
Lucille Proulx,
Dr h.c.,
UQAM; MA, ATR, CRAT, ATPQ, Artist, author, and pioneer in art therapy
Description:
A certified art
therapist in Canada and the United States, Lucille Proulx has over 50 years of
experience working with children and parents in clinics, communities, and
hospitals. An honorary lifetime member of CATA and AATQ, she also directed the
B.C. School of Art Therapy. Proulx also became the Executive Director of the
International Programs of Art Therapy in Thailand (IPATT), Japan (JIPATT), and
Canada (CiiAT). In this presentation, she will share a personal and unique
perspective on the evolution of professional identity in art therapy, informed
by her exceptional career and long-standing commitment to the field.
14:00 p.m. - 14:15 p.m. - Coffee break
14:15 p.m. - 16:30 p.m. - Practical workshop:
“Ecopsychology and
Creative Therapies - Work That Connects”
Annie Giguère,
MA, ATPQ, UQAT
Description:
This
experiential
conference-workshop invites you to explore the foundations of eco-art therapy
and The Work That Reconnects (TQR). Through a theoretical presentation and a
guided creative process inspired by the stages of TQR, participants will
experience a process marked by moments of integration and sharing. All
materials are included.
09:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. -
The academic world -
A space for
expression and dialogue with aspiring creative arts therapists
French/English student presentations (with translation)
09:15 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. -
Conference: “Comic books:
exploring the colors of suffering”
Alexandra Tanguay-Verreault,
Master's in Art Therapy, Concordia University
Biography:
After four years on the Côte-Nord, Alexandra has been living in Montreal since November 2024. She works in private practice as a multidisciplinary artist, psychotherapist, and social worker. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Art Therapy at Concordia University. She channels a thirst for social change into a creative driving force through her artistic production. Her work weaves together politics, community organization, creativity, psychology, social work, and often the long-term participation of community members. Her creations aim to foster philosophical reflection on intimacy and the possibilities of self-healing through art.
Description:
This
presentation explores art as a tool for intervention and self-healing, grounded
in a personal artistic practice inspired by daily life and dreams. Through the
experimentation with comics, the approach highlights how creation and the
visual language of art therapy can help navigate difficult emotions, give
meaning to embodied suffering, and shed light on the social tensions of a
community in crisis.
10:05 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. -
Conference: “Exploring Poetry and AI Music as Therapeutic Tools:
Transfiguration through Conversational Shifts between Subjective and Objective
Perceptions”
Wei-Chen Chen,
Advanced Diploma in
Art Therapy,
Vancouver Art Therapy Institute
Biography:
Wei-Chen Chen is a trainee art therapist and
interdisciplinary artist under the supervision of the Vancouver Art Therapy
Institute. He currently works as a creative arts instructor at the SA Institute
in Montreal. He holds a master's degree from the National Taiwan University of
Arts and has trained at the Vancouver Acting School and the New York Film
Academy.
Wei-Chen's work aims to support adolescents, young adults,
and LGBTQ+ individuals in expressing their emotions and reconstructing their
personal narratives. His approach focuses particularly on relational trauma,
PTSD/complex PTSD, low self-esteem, excessive need to please, anxiety, and
depression. He seeks to co-create safe and transformative spaces with adults
from dysfunctional families.
Description: This
presentation explores the use of AI-generated music as a therapeutic tool that
fosters creative and emotional expression. Drawing on an autoethnographic
approach, it shows how transforming inner pain into poetic and then musical
form creates a narrative space that supports distance, transformation, and the
integration of complex experiences. Inspired by art therapy, narrative
approaches, and trauma-informed practices, this method opens new pathways of
expression for those who struggle to verbalize their emotions, positioning AI
as a creative partner that nurtures resilience, meaning, and self-healing.
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. -
Creative and professional networking - Connection cards
Come and expand your network in an
original way! Take part in our activity to create and exchange spontaneous,
handmade business cards, and discover the talents, expertise, and needs of
members of the professional and business community.
On the agenda:
· Creative
tables for designing your unique cards or exchanging business cards.
· Conversation
area to encourage encounters and complementarities.
· Wall
of links to visualize connections and inspire future collaborations.
12:00 p.m. - 13:00 p.m. - Lunch break
13:00 p.m. - 14:00 p.m. - Conférence:
International Art Therapy
“Competence, Cultural
Diversity, and Neuropsychology in Art Therapy”
Carmen Oprea,
MA, MFA, ATR-BC, RCAT, ATPQ)
Biography: Carmen is a registered art therapist with post-graduate training in sandplay therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy. Holding master's degrees in art therapy and fine arts, she is currently a doctoral candidate in psychology.Her professional career includes art therapy services for individuals and groups of all ages with various life challenges, at her clinic, Accès Art. She deeply resonates with Indigenous wisdom and strives to provide culturally sensitive art therapy to Inuit and First Nations adolescents.Carmen is fortunate to be part of a dedicated team at Concordia University as co-investigator in a research project related to art therapy and depression.She provides supervision to creative art therapists in person and online.
Description : Carmen will present an overview of emerging international trends in art therapy, drawing on her conversations with leading figures at the World Art Therapy Conferences and Summits. Across the field, trauma work is being reshaped by somatic approaches and restorative practices, with a growing focus on co-regulation, sensory processing, and expanding on the resilience capacity. Art therapy is also finding new connections with neuroscience, integrating theories of creativity, polyvagal and neurosequential models, and self-compassion, while beginning to use tools such as brain scans and activity monitoring to deepen research.
At the same time, community-based and non-pathologising practices are gaining ground, responding to the realities of global crises, wars, and political instability. These approaches shift the focus from symptoms to resilience, collective care, and dignity, situating distress within broader social contexts.
Another emerging direction is the way art therapy is intersecting with other fields such as eco-therapy, EMDR, psychedelic therapy, etc. Many practitioners are developing dual or multiple specializations, allowing them to integrate diverse methods and better support the complex needs of their clients.
These developments show how art therapy continues to grow as a discipline that is increasingly attuned to the clients’ needs and using effective tools to help them thrive.
14:00 p.m. - 14:15 p.m. - Coffee break
14:15 p.m. - 16:30 p.m.
-
Round table and collection creation
Hosted by Andréanne Gagné,
PH.D., UQAM, MA, UQAC,
Sherbrooke University
Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Sherbrooke, her research focuses on issues related to identity dynamics, career paths, and support for trainers and trainees. She is a member of the Observatoire de la formation professionnelle du Québec (Quebec Professional Training Observatory) and the Centre de recherche interuniversitaire sur la formation et la profession enseignante (Interuniversity Research Center on Teacher Training and the Teaching Profession).
Lucille Proulx, Dr h.c., UQAM, ATPQ, MA, ATR, CRAT
A certified art therapist in Canada and the United States, Lucille Proulx has over 50 years of experience working with children and parents in clinics, communities, and hospitals. An honorary lifetime member of CATA and AATQ, she also directed the B.C. School of Art Therapy. She went on to become executive director of International Programs of Art Therapy in Thailand (IPATT), Japan (JIPATT), and Canada (CiiAT).
Sophie Boudrias, D. Ps, MA, ATPQ, UQAM
Professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) in graduate programs in psychology specializing in art therapy, she holds a doctorate in psychology and a master's degree in art therapy. As a clinical psychologist and professional art therapist, she specializes in process-oriented approaches to art therapy with adults and in the therapeutic use of dreams. Her research focuses primarily on the therapeutic reconsolidation of emotional memories through dreams, metaphor, and art therapy. She is also involved with the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD) and evaluates scientific articles and grant and research scholarship applications for various organizations.
Heather McLaughlin, MA,
RMFT-S, ATR-BC, ATPQ, Art Therapy Program Director, Université Concordia
Heather
is an Assistant Professor in Art Therapy at Concordia University and the
founder and Director of the Concordia Arts in Health Centre, an innovative,
service-first, campus-based creative arts therapies clinic that provides free,
equitable, and accessible services in Montreal. A practicing art therapist in
Montreal for more than 20 years, Heather is also a registered couple and family
therapist and licensed psychotherapist. She has been teaching and supervising
in graduate-level therapy training programs since 2007. Her practice is
grounded in systemic, attachment-based, and trauma-informed approaches, helping
people engage their creativity, compassion, and personal, community, and
cultural resources. Her work bridges clinical expertise, community-engaged
service, and program innovation, with a focus on building sustainable and
inclusive models of care and training.
Marianne St-Onge, Ph. D., MA, EFE - Groupe de
recherche et consultance, UQAT
A passionate researcher and versatile practitioner, Marianne has over 20 years of research experience in the psychosocial and educational fields. Holding a doctorate in education and currently training in art therapy, she combines solid academic expertise with a practical approach to intervention. In recent years, she has developed a strong interest in collaborative research and support for marginalized populations in the education system, particularly young adults returning to school. Art therapy is now added to her research and intervention interests. Marianne is part of a team of researchers and practitioners mapping the practice of art therapy in Quebec and analyzing its specificities in relation to other intervention and therapy approaches.
Lise Pelletier, MA. TS et
art-thérapie, ATPQ, Directrice de l’École d’art-thérapie UQAT
After several years of practice as a clinician and professor for more than 15 years, she has become particularly interested in the development of empowerment and social intervention through the arts with marginalized populations as well as in research related to the social, ethical and spiritual dimensions of art therapy. She is part of a research team that focuses on the specificities of art therapy in Quebec, recognition issues, conditions of practice and professionalization. She is also interested in the mental health recovery process, group art therapy and co-edited a book on art therapy and spirituality.
Aim of the roundtable:
To broaden the discussion on the professional identity of art therapists. To offer and develop an inclusive perspective on the spectrum and continuum of art therapy.
Description: This roundtable discussion offers an open reflection on the theme of professional identity in art therapy and the stance we adopt in our practices. Depending on our approaches and training, this stance can fluctuate or differ, placing us at different points on the art therapy continuum. These variations raise questions and issues of identity, which can sometimes challenge our ways of working and the recognition of our profession.
The discussion will conclude with a question-and-answer session with the audience, followed by a collective creative activity. This will invite each participant to illustrate, in a visual and symbolic way, their identity and art therapy approach, echoing the reflections shared during the discussion.
This meeting will bring together speakers from various backgrounds with a particular interest in issues related to professional identity and the art therapy continuum.
16:30 p.m. -
17:00 p.m. -
Collective creation and closing
*Important note: Photographs may be taken during this
activity. These images may be used by the organizer for communication,
promotional, or archival purposes. If you do not wish to appear in the photos,
please notify the team on site.
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