Communitas of Art Therapy

21 Oct

Communitas of Art Therapy

Roots came first,
Then
There were Wings…

Communitas of Art Therapy is an art therapy learning community centered on creative practice, reflective inquiry, experiential learning, and community. Its educational programs bring together theory, art-making, arts-based inquiry, peer exchange, intervision, and supervised practice. The learning environment supports participants in developing a grounded and personally engaged relationship with the creative process while building professional knowledge and practice in art therapy.

Training Programs to Present

Communitas Art Therapy Program 2027-2028, Primarily Online, with One In-Person Module Each Year in Lisbon, Portugal (Turkish)
El Duende One Canvas Method: Weaving Artistic Language Across Modalities and Over Time with Abbe Miller, Ph.D. – Lisbon, Portugal, May 22-23, 2027 (English & Turkish)

Program 1 – Communitas Art Therapy Program 2027-2028

Dates	January-November 2027 and January-November 2028
Format	Hybrid: primarily live online via Zoom, with selected in-person modules in Lisbon, Portugal
In-person modules	El Duende One Canvas Method – May 22-23, 2027; Eco-Art Therapy – April 7-9, 2028
Primary language	Turkish. The El Duende module is taught in English with simultaneous Turkish translation.
Group size	Maximum 16 participants
Applications	Applications are reviewed in the order received; registration may close earlier if capacity is reached.
Contact	[email protected]

About the Program

The two-year Communitas program is designed for people who want to learn and deepen art therapy practice and who come from art therapy-related academic or professional fields. The first year develops foundational theoretical knowledge and personal experiential practice in using art as a mode of awareness and inquiry. The second year deepens the art therapy framework and adds structured supervision for participants’ developing individual and/or group practice.

Program Structure

Year 1: 8 modules, 8 interim meetings, 5 intervision meetings, and at least 20 hours of personal visual arts studio practice.
Year 2: 7 modules, 7 group supervision meetings, 5 intervision meetings, at least 20 additional hours of personal visual arts studio practice, and a minimum of 40 hours of supervised art therapy practice.
Participants are expected to remain engaged in visual arts practice throughout the program.

Faculty Members:

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

The program is shaped in collaboration with Curative Arts (Barcelona, Spain), Laya Consulting (Istanbul, Turkey), and 3Oda Consulting (Istanbul, Turkey).

Application Process

Detailed CV.
A motivation letter of at least 500 words explaining why the applicant wants to join the program.
One reference letter from a colleague or supervisor who has worked with the applicant.
After the initial review of fit, selected applicants are invited to an online preliminary interview.

In-person Learning in Lisbon

The El Duende One Canvas Method module takes place in Lisbon on May 22-23, 2027. The Eco-Art Therapy module takes place in the Lisbon region on April 7-9, 2028. All other modules and weekday meetings are conducted live online via Zoom.

Certificate

Participants receive an Art Therapy Practitioner Certificate issued by Communitas of Art Therapy.

Program 2 – El Duende One Canvas Method

El Duende One Canvas Method: Weaving Artistic Language Across Modalities and Over Time

Dates	May 22-23, 2027 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location	Lisbon, Portugal
Venue	TBA
Trainer	Abbe Miller, PhD, ATR-BC, LPC, AATCE, Professor Emerita
Format	Two-day experiential and didactic, in-person workshop
Language	English, with simultaneous translation into Turkish
Participation	Open to external participants as a stand-alone training, as well as to members of the 2027-2028 Communitas program
Contact	[email protected]

About the Training

Developed by artist and art therapist Abbe Miller, the El Duende One Canvas Method emphasizes the longitudinal study of the creative process in supervision, clinical work, and personal studio practice. Participants repeatedly return to a single canvas over time, attending to movement, flow, blocks, choices, change, and the evolving relationship with the image.

Workshop Focus

Attention to both artistic process and product, including visual documentation of change over time.
The El Duende cycle of layering, with attention to attunement and re-working the composition.
Prompts and intentional time away from active art-making to deepen curiosity and response.
Transformative learning and the emergence of an authentic creative voice across artistic modalities and over time.

Trainer

Abbe Miller, PhD, ATR-BC, LPC, is an artist-art therapist and Professor Emerita who has practiced transformational art therapy for more than 40 years. She developed the El Duende One Canvas layering process and has taught art-based workshops internationally, alongside her work in art therapy practice, supervision, writing, and studio-based creative inquiry.

Certificate / Continuing Education

Participants receive a 12-hour Certificate of Completion. The training hours are recognized as AATA Continuing Education Credits.

Registration

Registration details and the Lisbon venue will be announced. For advance inquiries, please contact Communitas of Art Therapy at [email protected] or visit www.communitasofarttherapy.com.