An Art Therapy Community

What is Communitas of Art Therapy?

Communitas of Art Therapy centers around the main tenets and practices of Art Therapy. This is an Art Therapy community open to all individuals who have met or are willing to meet the healing nature of Art Therapy.

The Communitas of Art Therapy faculty embraces a multidisciplinary approach in their work and teaching.

Communitas of Art Therapy gathers in various locations in Turkey. Also, there are online meetings and trainings available for the community. Most of the in-person trainings are located in Istanbul. Additionally, there are Eco-Art Therapy based retreats offered in Mount Ida and Çatalca.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach us by using the information form below.

Our Vision

As an art therapy community, Communitas of Art Therapy acknowledges the healing importance of belonging and creativity. By embodying an eco-friendly, arts-centered explorative approach, CAT highlights the necessity to establish creativity-based and community-centered gatherings and trainings to develop a compassionate curiosity and loving kindness toward all sentient beings.

Our Mission

Communitas of Art Therapy (CAT) is a local Turkish art therapy community. CAT aims at creating access for art therapy resources, materials, training and knowledge for the Turkish community of artists, psychologists, counselors, and individuals working in a variety of fields. CAT highlights and works on the development of a genuine understanding of art therapy and opportunities to experience, learn and internalize how art therapy works.

CAT promotes an eco-friendly, multidisciplinary, diversity and inclusion oriented approach to art therapy practice and training. In the pursuit of solidarity, CAT collaborates with other local associations and organizations to co-organize art therapy trainings and workshops.

CAT strives to fulfill its purpose by organizing gatherings, trainings and workshops in various locations in Turkey such as Istanbul, Mount Ida, and Çatalca, as well as online. CAT diligently works on making art therapy resources and trainings available in Turkey, in Turkish by translating books and other art therapy materials such as articles and inspirational art therapy card series, inviting trainers from other countries, providing participants with simultaneous translation, and organizing online workshops to make the knowledge more accessible.

Communitas of Art Therapy is a member of the International Association for Creative Arts in Education and Therapy.

What to expect at Communitas of Art Therapy?

We renew the bulletin board below monthly. Please keep yourselves informed regarding our new programs, trainings and workshops. You are welcome to e-mail us if you would like to be informed specifically about a training, workshop or meeting.

Communitas Art Therapy Program 2026-2027

(2 Years – 330 Hours)

Communitas Art Therapy Program welcomes participants from a variety of disciplines. The aim of the program is to train art therapy practitioners in Turkey. The first year comprises of eight weekend modules, eight online meetings, and studio hours; the second year comprises of seven weekend modules, six online group supervision meetings, studio hours and practice hours.

For more information, you can e-mail us at communitasofarttherapy@gmail.com.

The program is currently held in Turkish, except for the El Duende One Canvas Method Module. In this module, there will be simultaneous translation into Turkish.

The instructors are Abbe Miller, Ph.D., Şeyma Çavuşoğlu, Ph.D., Begüm Akçınar, M.A., Gizem Biçen Doğan, Ph.D. (Ca), Ass. Prof. Selen Korad Birkiye, Ph.D., Dilara Karşıdağ Altıkardeş, Ph.D. (Ca)., and Seren Pehlivanoğlu İlkdoğan,Ph.D. (Ca); Sindy Şulam Irgaz, M.A.

Our partners in forming the program: Curative Arts, Laya Counseling, and 3 Oda Counseling.

The History: Communitas Art Therapy Program is based on previous training groups who met and worked in Istanbul and Mount Ida from 2019 until 2023. We could say: ”The program grew up.” New faculty joined in and it turned into a two-year long training.

Memories from The Past Training Groups:

From Cohort 3

From Cohort 1

All videos and pictures had been granted permission to be shared.

Art Therapy Workshops

These workshops are designed to create safe spaces of self-exploration and skill development through Art Therapy methods. We offer both in-person and online workshops. Please look at the list provided below for the current workshops list.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach us by using the information form.

Open Art Hours

Inspired by Pat B. Allen’s Open Studio Process, we invite Art Therapy enthusiasts to gather and create as a community. These meetings are sometimes more geared toward personal work and at other times we make art together as a community.

You need to make an appointment to attend the Open Art Hours.

Current Workshops and Trainings

Please e-mail us to learn more about the programs.

Art Therapy Workshop: ‘Work on the Book’ with Şeyma Çavuşoğlu, Ph.D.

Thursdays, 19:00-21:00 (4 Weeks)

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Zoom,

Book of the Month: Art is a Way of Knowing, Pat B. Allen, Sola Unitas

Equanimity Based Art Therapy Workshop

This workshop is geared toward inquiring about the experience of equanimity through art-making. There are 6 meetings over the course of 3 months. Participants are encourage to continue the work on their own space via various ”home assignments” and prompts provided during the course of the workshop.