Mission and vision
The International Association of Creative Arts Somatic Education (IACASE) is a professional association with international orientation and scope. IACASE promotes and supports the global development of creative arts-based somatic education in both developed and developing countries and regions, creates and safeguards the standards for the field by ensuring the quality of the professional training and practice of the educators and practitioners. IACASE believes the aesthetic and creative use of the arts, together with body-mind integration in a holistic and humanistic approach is essential to support the personal growth and well-being of individuals. IACASE encourages equality and humanity in the dialogues and exchanges across cultures worldwide.
What we do
Officially registered in Delft, Netherlands, IACASE is the authority in the creative arts somatic education field and creates professional standards and guidelines. IACASE has executive board and several committees to manage and plan its activities. IACASE evaluates and approves the training programs worldwide to ensure they meet the standards of IACASE. IACASE grants different levels of credentials in the name of Certified or Registered Creative Arts Somatic Educator, and keeps records of the registrations.
IACASE encourages both arts-based and evidence-based research for the advancement of our field. IACASE publishes its own international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal (English) Creative Arts in Education and Therapy – Eastern and Western Perspectives (CAET), the premier resource for research and studies in this field. The journal is indexed and collected by major research databases, public libraries, and universities in the world. There are over 50 leading experts on the editorial board of CAET.
Executive Board
NAME:
Helen Payne, PhD, R-ADMP, Professor
POSITION:
President, Executive Committee
COUNTRY:
UK

Helen Payne
Professor Helen Payne, PhD; UKCP; Fellow ADMP Reg. dance movement psychotherapist pioneered DMP in the UK leading the professional association, first post graduate accredited training, research and publications. ‘Chair in Psychotherapy’ at the University of Hertfordshire, School of Education, conferred as ‘Professor of Psychotherapy’ in 2007.
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NAME:
Tony Yu Zhou, PhD, CMA
POSITION:
CEO, Executive Committee
COUNTRY:
China/Netherland

Tony Yu Zhou
Dr. Zhou holds a doctoral degree in biomedicine and has been working and living in China and Europe for many years. Though trained as a scientist, he has been greatly intrigued by modern dance and dance therapy since 2002. He has played an important role in driving the development of creative arts therapy and education in China and the world.
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NAME:
Vivien Marcow Speiser, PhD, BC-DMT, REAT, NCC
POSITION:
Board member, Executive Committee
COUNTRY:
USA

Vivien Marcow Speiser
Vivien Marcow Speiser is the Director and Professor of the Institute for Arts and Health in The Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences, Lesley University. She is also a Distinguished Research Associate in the Drama for Life Program at the University of the Witwatersrand. She is a licensed mental health counselor, a dance therapist and an expressive arts therapist and educator. Her work has allowed her unparalleled access to working with groups across the United States, Israel and internationally.
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Dr Speiser has taught throughout the world and believes in the use of the arts as a way of communicating across borders and across cultures. She believes in the power of the arts to create the conditions for personal and social change and transformation. Her interests and expertise lie in the areas of working with communities under duress through an integrated arts approach. Many of her publications are grounded in her work with trauma and cross-cultural conflict resolution through the arts. In addition, she is an expert in the creation and performance of ‘rites of passage rituals’ and in the use of performance in expressive therapy practice.
Her contributions to the field have made her an international leader in dance and expressive therapy, and most recently earned her a Fulbright Scholar Award as well as a lifetime achievement award from the Journal of Applied Arts and Health in 2019. Other awards include the 2014 Distinguished Fellows Award from the Global Alliance for Arts and Health and a 2015 Honorary Fellow Lifetime Achievement award from the Israeli Expressive and Creative Arts Therapy Association (ICET)
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NAME:
Warren Nebe, MA, MA, RDT
POSITION:
Board member, Executive Committee
COUNTRY:
Sweden/South Africa

Warren Nebe
Warren Nebe is an academic, theatre director, arts therapist and activist in the fields of applied arts, arts therapies and arts research. He is the founding Head and Director of Drama for Life, University of the Witwatersrand and is a Senior Lecturer. He is a registered member of International Association of Group Psychotherapy (IAGP), American Association of Psychodrama and Group Psychotherapy (ASGPP), North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA), Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
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NAME:
Michal Lev, Ph.D., LCAT, CMFT
POSITION:
Board member, Executive Committee
COUNTRY:
Israel

Michal Lev
Dr. Michal Lev is a board-certified art therapist, supervisor, and a certified family psychotherapist. Her clinical practice included inpatient and outpatient treatments for adults with mental health issues. In her established private practice for couples and families Michal incorporates expressive therapies to deal with intimacy issues and promote wellbeing.
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Michal is a faculty lecturer at the graduate art therapy program at Ono Academic College–ASA in Israel, advising students in their seminar thesis and promoting art-based pedagogy and research. Her published research and presentations focus on intimacy, art-based research, and creative process-oriented pedagogy.
Dr. Lev is the head of the approval committee for YAHAT – the Expressive Therapies Organization in Israel since 2016, supporting public legislation for expressive therapies. As a social activist, artist, and entrepreneur, she maintains artmaking for innovation, inquiry and knowledge within business environments.
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NAME:
Hilda Wengrower, PhD
POSITION:
Chair, Research Committee
COUNTRY:
Israel

Hilda Wengrower
Wengrower teaches and lectures in Israel and internationally. Former academic director of the dance therapy master’s program at IL3-University of Barcelona, she maintains a private practice which includes supervision. Hilda has published papers and chapters on subjects related to arts therapies in educational settings, dance movement therapy with children with behavioral disorders, migration, qualitative research, arts based research and DMT.
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She is an active member of the Association of Creative Arts Therapies in Israel promoting and organizing conferences and activities. She is book reviews editor of the International Journal Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy and reviewer for academic journals and publishing companies.
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NAME:
Francesca Ciaudano
POSITION:
Chair, PR/Marketing Committee
COUNTRY:
Italy

Francesca Ciaudano
A multi-award-winning marketer, entrepreneur, and strategist, Francesca spent the last 20 years in leadership roles working for Fortune500 Brands with her core expertise in Marketing, Digital Transformation, Brand & Business Development, New Product Launch and Market Expansion. As an artist she is also a keen advocate for the arts as a form of medicine and believes in the power of creativity to heal us.
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Francesca wants to revolutionize the way we look at tart and creativity. She is an artist, entrepreneur, marketing expert and board advisor, who is passionate about social impact and business strategies with a purpose. She sees art as a form of medicine and believes in the power of creativity to unleash human potential.
She has consistently spearheaded award-winning campaigns and strategies, and received the recognition of Marketer of the Year – MENA, by the prestigious Effie Awards.
Passionate about business and culture as forces for good, Francesca also co-authored a #1 Amazon book on a topic dear to me, Conscious Leadership.
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NAME:
Erica Hornthal, BC-DMT
POSITION:
Chair, Membership Committee
COUNTRY:
USA

Erica Hornthal
Erica Hornthal, a licensed clinical professional counselor and board-certified dance/movement therapist, is currently the CEO of Chicago Dance Therapy-the premiere dance/movement therapy practice in the Midwest. As an expert on the intersection of movement and mental health, she has appeared in hundreds of publications, podcasts, live newscasts, and radios.
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In her 10+ years as a dance/movement therapist, Erica has worked with thousands of patients aged 3-107! Known as “The Therapist Who Moves You,” Erica has truly changed the way people see movement with regard to mental health. She has been recognized by Maria Shriver’s Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement as a woman making a difference in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Erica won the 2018 Global Excellence Award in the Alternative Medicine and Holistic Health Category from Global Health & Pharma and the 2020 Social Care Award for Best Movement Therapy Center in Chicagoland.
Erica’s area of expertise has caught the attention of multiple publications such as The Epoch Times, Dance Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, and PARADE. As an expert on the intersection of movement and mental health, she has appeared in hundreds of publications, podcasts, live newscasts, and radio including WGN, NBC, The Chicago Sun Times, The Chicago Tribune, Buzzfeed, Bustle, Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, Medium, NBC News Better, Reader’s Digest, and Prevention. As a columnist for Dance Informa Magazine, 30 Seconds, and Thrive Global, Erica writes about all things movement and mental health.
Erica’s is passionate about working with cognitive and movement disorders, neurologic conditions, anxiety and depression, and trauma. Erica is dedicated to bringing awareness to the field of dance/movement therapy to mainstream culture. She is eager to provide knowledge on why and how the body should be addressed in the therapeutic relationship; making the information digestible and accessible to anyone seeking to improve mental health.
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NAME:
Devika Mehta, UK/RDMP
POSITION:
Regional Director, Asia
COUNTRY:
India

Devika Mehta
Devika Mehta is a practicing Dance Movement Psychotherapist (R-DMP) registered with Association of Dance Movement Psychotherapy, UK (ADMP(UK)) and Indian Association of Dance Movement Therapy (IADMT). She is the Course Director for the Post Graduate Diploma Program in Expressive Arts Therapy at St.Xavier’s College, Mumbai and faculty for Diploma courses in Dance Movement Therapy.
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NAME:
Clive Holmwood, PhD
POSITION:
Regional Director, Europe
COUNTRY:
UK

Clive Holmwood
Dr Clive Holmwood is a UK Health and Care Professions Council Registered (HCPC) Dramatherapist with 25 years post qualifying experience, and a full member of the British Association of Dramatherapists. He is an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Therapeutic Arts within the School of Arts at the University of Derby.
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He currently teaches on the Post-graduate Arts Therapies Programs with responsibility for clinical supervision, theory & research modules. He is a Senior Researcher within the School of Arts Research Centre, with an interest in interdisciplinary practice between drama education and dramatherapy, arts in health and play. He has written and edited a number of major publications on dramatherapy drama and play and is involved in various research projects.
He has worked in a range of clinical and non-clinical settings with a very broad range of clients throughout his career. This includes adults and children with severe learning disabilities and challenging behaviour, adults and children with severe mental health problems and older people with memory loss and dementia. He has delivered teaching and training internationally in the UK, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, France, and USA & Argentina
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NAME:
Carol Carter, PhD
POSITION:
Regional director, AUS/NZ
COUNTRY:
Australia

Carol Carter
Dr. Carol Carter has been working for over thirty years in the field of Drama and Creative Arts pedagogies in Teacher Education. An enduring commitment to Equity and Social Justice, has been at the core of her teaching, learning and research. She is currently Senior Lecturer Arts and Early Childhood, Curtin University, Perth. She has extensive experience as a teacher educator in primary and early childhood degree programs at universities in Australia and South Africa.
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She also worked as a primary school teacher for a number of years and was Educational Director of Young People’s theatre in South Africa. Her PhD, from the University of Melbourne Australia, examined the role of oral art forms in supporting Drama pedagogy and intercultural understanding within teacher education and her Masters, from the University of Fort Hare South Africa, examined personal and contextual constraints in the use of classroom drama. She has published and presented numerous papers, books and workshops nationally and internationally. Some of her most recent work involves examining ways in which the Arts (particularly Drama) creates dialogical spaces and supports cultural identities in early childhood, primary, enabling and teacher education contexts. Another of her research interests, that she continues to explore, is identifying Drama strategies and techniques to support and enhance learning and teaching in diverse learning and teaching contexts.
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NAME:
Phillip Speiser, PhD, REAT, RDT-BC
POSITION:
Chair, Events Committee
COUNTRY:
USA/South Africa

Phillip Speiser
Dr. Philip Speiser is an expressive arts educator/therapist, drama therapist, and psychodramatist who has developed and implemented integrated arts therapy and educational programs for children, adolescents and families for over four decades. He is currently Director of Parkside Arts and Health Associates in Boston Massachusetts.
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He has served as director at the Arbour Counseling Partial Hospitalization Program in Norwell, MA and also the founding director of the arts therapy department at Whittier Street Health Center, Boston. He has worked and developed programs with individuals and groups in conflict around the globe.
After 9/11 he developed and implemented the Healing Arts Program, an arts-based ‘trauma recovery/prevention’ program in Boston and New York City.
In the early 1990’s he was a founding member of the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association and served as co-chair. During the 1980’s he lived in Sweden and did pioneering work in the field of Expressive Arts & Expressive Arts Therapy throughout Scandinavia. Phil is a senior lecturer at Lesley University, Cambridge MA & research associate at Drama For Life, University of the Witwatersrand, SA. He has taught at numerous colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. He has worked extensively within the fields of mental health, special education, arts and medicine/health/disabilities and conflict transformation.
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NAME:
Dan Summer, PhD
POSITION:
Regional director, North America
COUNTRY:
USA

Dan Summer
Dr. Dan Summer is a Licensed creative arts therapist in New York Board-Certified Art therapist and Art therapy clinical Supervisor. He currently holds the position of assistant professor of art therapy at Caldwell University. He has had over 20 years clinical experience working with Inpatient psychiatric adults, outpatient emotionally disturbed youth, and private practice with adults and youth.
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Dan has published on therapeutic theatre with youth at-risk of high school dropout, on developmental transformations, and on arts based project regarding gun violence. His current research interests include eco art therapy and spirituality, as well as exploring intersectional identity with college students.
Dr. Summer is a site visitor for the Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE) which credentials art therapy programs, and participates in social justice initiatives at Caldwell University and other communities. As a socially conscious practitioner and educator, he makes response art toward social injustices and reinforces to his students the responsibility of social consciousness toward those being served in multiple communities.
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NAME:
Elikem Alfred Kunutsor, MA
POSITION:
Regional Director, Africa
COUNTRY:
Ghana

Elikem Alfred Kunutsor
Elikem Alfred Kunutsor is a Ghanaian, who holds an MA and BA Honours in Dramatic Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa. Elikem majored in Physical Theatre and Design. His approach to the performing arts is rooted in embodied, physical presence rather than genre classifications. He is currently a PhD candidate with the University of Cape Town (UCT).
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NAME:
Adriana Miranda da Cunha, PhD
POSITION:
Regional Co-Director, Latin America
COUNTRY:
Brazil

Adriana Miranda da Cunha
Adriana holds a PhD in Theater for the Graduate Program in Theater (PPGT) at the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC); she earned her master’s degree in Theatre in Education, Therapy and Activism from Witwatersrand University – Wits School of Art (WSOA) – South Africa (2015).
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NAME:
Diana Fischman, PhD
POSITION:
Regional Co-Director, Latin America
COUNTRY:
Argentina

Diana Fischman
Diana Fischman – PhD. in Psychology, Universidad de Palermo (2006), Licensed in Psychology, and Prof. in Educational Sciences University of Buenos Aires. Postgraduate in Psychoanalysis, Argentine School of Psychotherapy for Graduates. Bionergetist formed with Drs. L. Hochman and A. Lowen in New York and Rome. Dance Movement Psychotherapist with training at Wisconsin University and Princeton University. Creator of the b r e c h a Center.
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Advisory Group
- Karen Bradley (US), President, Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies (LIMS), New York
- Maria Elena Garcia (Argentina/Spain), University of Barcelona
- Elissa White (US), BC-DMT, Creative Arts Therapies, Pratt Institute
- Marcia Plevin (Italy/US), BC-DMT, Founder and Vice President, The Association of Creative Movement
- Daria Halprin (US), Director, Tamalpa Institute
- Irina Biryukova (Russia), BC-DMT, Director, Institute of Practical Psychology and Psychoanalysis (Moscow)
- Nayung Kim (South Korea), PhD., BC-DMT, CMA, Associate Professor, Seoul Women’s University
- Ilene Serlin (US), PhD of psychology, BC-DMT, Union Street Health Associates
- Dick Swaab (Netherlands), PhD, Professor of Neurobiology, University of Amsterdam, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Lee Tsungchin (Taiwan), PhD, Professor of psychology, National Chengchi University
- Zvika Frank (Netherlands), BC-DMT, Codart/Rotterdam Dance Academy
- Zhao Xu-dong (China), Doctor of Medicine, Tongji University
- Rainbow T.H. Ho (Hong Kong), PhD, BC-DMT, CMA, Professor, University of Hong Kong
- Tina Chen (Hong Kong/UK), Professor, Tongji University, China; Chief representative, Royal Ballet School (UK) in China
- Ulrich Sollmann (Germany), Past President of the German Association of Bioenergetic Analysis
- Val Huet (France/UK), PhD, Research Director, British Association of Art Therapists
- Liz Cameron (Australia), Chair of Indigenous Knowledges, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University
- Monica Zuretti (Argentina), Professor Psychotherapy, Psychodramatist, Eco and Indigenous Knowledge Expert
- Christopher Odhiambo (Kenya), Professor of Literature and Applied Drama at Moi University
- Oihika Chakrabarti (India), RATh, MFA, Co-Founder & Chairperson, The Art Therapy Association of India
- Stephen Clift (UK), PhD, Professor Emeritus, Canterbury Christ Church University, Professorial Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health
- Dominik Havsteen-Franklin, PhD, Professor of Practice – Arts Therapies, Brunel University London
Regional Committees
Asia
- Devika Mehta (India)
- Dr. Hu Jun (China)
- Dr. Azizah binti Abdullah (Malaysia)
- Dr. Adel Andalibi (Iran)
- Min-Jeong Bae (South Korea)
Africa
- Dr. Ava Avalos (Botswana)
- Hanan El-Mazahy (Egypt)
- Elikem Alfred Kunutsor (Ghana)
- Gigliola Zacara (Mozambique and Angola)
- Esmerelda Cloete (Namibia)
- Carole Kamerera (Rwanda)
- Nsamu Moonga (Zambia)
- Malika Ndlovu
- Oluwadamilola Apotieri-Abdulai
- Alfred Kunu
- Sarmento Manuel
- Samson Setumo
- Traver Mudzonga
America
- Dr. Annie Heiderscheit (US)
- Dr. Sylvia Ketelhohn Gron (Costa Rica)
- Maria Elena Garcia (Argentina)
- Cara Gallo (US)
- Adriana Miranda da Cunha (Brazil)
- Kathia Hak (Brazil)
- Dr. Thania Acarón (Puerto Rico)
- José María Sendra Polanco (Chile)
- Diana Sanchez Moreno (Mexico)
Australia/New Zealand
- Dr. Steve Harvey (New Zealand)
- Dr. Carol Beck Carter (Australia)
- Deborah Green (USA/New Zealand)
- Kristen Meyer (Australia)
- Bronwyn Greive (Australia)
- Shelley Hannigan (Australia)
- Kathy Grushka (Australia)
- Richard Sallis (Australia)
- Katriina.McFerran (Australia)
Europe
- Dr. Mimma Della Cagnoletta (Italy)
- Alexander Kopytin (Russia)
- Niek Ghekiere (Belgium)
- Dr. Clive Holmwood (UK)
- Alenka Vidrih (Slovenia)
- Dr. Michal Lev (Israel)
- Dr. Nurhayat Güneş (Turkey)