About Me
John Dunn, MA, LCPAT, ATR-BC
Licensed, Registered and Board Certified
Art Psychotherapist
- B.A. Art/Liberal Arts, Vermont College of Norwich University
- M.A. Art Therapy, Vermont College of Norwich University
- Licensed by the State of Maryland (#ATC017)
- Registered and Board Certified by the Art Therapy Credentials Board (#00-138)
- Member of the American Art Therapy Association
- Member of The International Positive Psychology Association
- 15 years experience as an Art Therapist and Art Therapist Supervisor for the State of Maryland.
- 6 years in private practice.
- Professional experience with a wide client population including people with Acute and Chronic Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, Dual Diagnosis, Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Eating Disorders, Schizophrenia, Personality Disorders, and General Medical Conditions.
- Special experience with Anxiety, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Dissociative Disorders, Asperger Syndrome (High Functioning Autism),Trauma, and Acute and Chronic Mental Illness.
Some people live their lives like a road travelled straight and narrow. For others, their journey takes a more circuitous, winding route. My life has been more of the latter, but I believe richer as the result.
As I approached middle age, I allowed myself to return to college and study art. That wound up being the kindest and greatest gift I ever gave myself. Passion, purpose and creativity were reawakened in my life. I was changed. These feelings then spurred a desire to help other people have similar experiences. So I chose to study art therapy in the hope of helping other people make positive changes in their lives.
In graduate school I learned art therapy principally from a traditional psychodymamic perspective where the artwork is used to garner insight from the unconscious, similar as in psychoanalysis. Over the years since then, I have found that art therapy can be used in more diverse ways and has healing and transformative potential far beyond what I learned in school.
Over the last 10 years I have come to value Positive Psychology and the benefits of using art to tap into our intuitive selves. When you are able to tap into your intuition, you are able to discover the truth in yourself. That truth includes the inner knowledge that you are calmer, stronger, and happier than you usually give yourself credit.
Today, I bring that knowledge and experience to my private practice where I can tailor an art psychotherapy approach suited to your particular needs.
Call, text or email me today to see if Art Therapy is suited to you.