An Art Therapy Community

What is Communitas of Art Therapy?

Communitas of Art Therapy (CAT) is an international art therapy education and community platform grounded in arts-based, resource-oriented practice. CAT offers learning experiences (trainings, seminars, and retreats) that support psychological well-being, creative resilience, and community connection through reflective art-making.
Alongside in-person programming, CAT also offers selected online meetings and trainings to make learning accessible across geographies.
CAT is designed as a community-of-practice. Participants learn through ongoing engagement, shared reflection, and applied methods. Programs are delivered primarily in English and Turkish.

Communitas of Art Therapy is a member of The International Association for Creative Arts in Education and Therapy (IACAET).

Our Vision
As an art therapy community, Communitas of Art Therapy ackowledges 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 beings.

Our Mission
Communitas of Art Therapy (CAT) is an international art therapy community. CAT aims at creating access for art therapy resources, materials, training and knowledge for the 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 various locations at Europe, Turkey and online. CAT diligently works on making art therapy resources and trainings available to all interestes parties, such as translating books and other art therapy materials such as articles and art therapy cards, inviting trainers from other countries to create an international network, 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.

Upcoming Programs:

Creating with the Inner Self: An Art-Led Equanimity Workshop
with Seyma Cavusoglu, Ph.D.
April 15th (Wednesday), 8:00–9:30 PM; April 19th (Sunday), 12:30–2:00 PM; April 22nd (Wednesday), 8:00–9:30 PM; April 26th (Sunday), 12:30–2:00 PM; April 29th (Wednesday), 8:00–9:30 PM; May 20th (Wednesday), 8:00–9:30 PM*

Art Therapy Seminars IV
with Seren Pehlivanoğlu İlkdoğan, Ph.D. (Ca), Dilara Karşıdağ Altıkardeş, Ph.D. (Ca) ve Aslıhan Özcan, M.A. — on Zoom, in Turkish
Sunday, May 3rd | 11:30 AM–3:00 PM*

Soror Mystica©: Images That Awaken the Imagination in Expressive Therapies
with Abbe Miller, Ph.D. — In person; Nişantaşı office, in English & Turkish
Thursday, May 7th | 6:30–9:30 PM*

El Duende One Canvas Method Training
with Abbe Miller, Ph.D. — In person; Masterpiece Maslak, Istanbul, in English & Turkish
Saturday–Sunday, May 9th–10th | 10:00 AM–5:30 PM*

A Resource-Oriented Perspective on Transgenerational Healing: An Introductory Workshop
with Manuela Maciel — In person; Nişantaşı office, in English & Turkish
June 13th–14th | 10:30 AM–5:30 PM*

*All times are in Istanbul time (UTC+3).

What Awaits You at Communitas of Art Therapy

If you’d like to receive details about a specific training, workshop, or meeting, you’re welcome to email us.

Communitas Art Therapy Practitioner Program 2027-2028

Registration opens in August 2026

The Communitas Art Therapy Practitioner Program welcomes participants from a wide range of disciplines. The program’s aim is to support professionals in building a grounded foundation in art therapy practice.

Year 1 Content

Introduction to art therapy; theoretical and experiential deepening in art therapy; ritual- and myth-making in art therapy; an introduction to a psychoanalytic perspective in relating to art; the El Duende One Canvas Method; arts-based research; explorations of creativity, play, and the body; the Art Is a Way of Knowing reading group and article presentation meetings on core concepts in art therapy; intervision (peer-support/peer-supervision) meetings; studio/workshop hours.

Year 2 Content

Viewing art therapy through a Transactional Analysis framework; the relationship between systems theory, attachment-based play therapy, and art therapy; trauma, red flags, and art therapy; eco-art therapy (nature-based art therapy); place/space, embodied presence, and expressive art therapy practices; dedicated group supervisions for therapeutic and community-oriented practices; practicum hours; intervision meetings; studio/workshop hours.

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

Collaborating organizations: Curative Arts; Laya Counseling; and 3 Oda Counseling.

What is El Duende One Canvas Method?
by Abbe Miller, Ph.D.

Art Therapy Workshops

These workshops are designed to create safe, supportive spaces for self-exploration and skill-building through art therapy methods. We offer both in-person and online workshops. Please see the list below for our current offerings.

Art Therapy Seminars

Our seminars are designed to help you expand your knowledge and perspective on a range of concepts and approaches in the field of art therapy, while also giving you the opportunity to experience sample practices through small, hands-on exercises. If you find yourself wondering, “What kind of field is art therapy?”, we warmly invite you to join our seminars. Our seminars are open to participants from all backgrounds.