The Prescott College Expressive Arts Therapy Summer Institute (EATSI) 2026 brings experts in expressive arts therapy and art therapy together with students for a unique intensive learning experience. Through experiential learning, self-reflective practices, and collaborative opportunities, participants integrate theories and methods of practice while exploring applications and techniques in a creative and inclusive environment.

The Summer Institute is a core residential learning component for students enrolled in the Expressive Arts Therapy program at Prescott College. Held on campus each spring, the Institute provides rich relational opportunities to gain awareness, clinical knowledge, personal growth, and experience in expressive arts and art therapy.

Participants gain deeper understanding of professional applications while engaging, unmediated, in stimulating creative processes that encourage self-expression and reflection. All EAT enrolled students are required to attend at least once during their program. MS in Counseling students, alumni, prospective students, and community members are welcome to attend all or part of the Summer Institute.

The Institute is scheduled to be held in person at Prescott College. A detailed schedule including opportunities for personal growth, reflection, and several breaks each day, will be provided to registrants prior to the Institute.

For additional details or questions contact:

Margaret Carlock, EdD, LCAT, ATR-BC, ATCS

Clinical Faculty and Coordinator

Expressive Arts Therapy Post Graduate Certificate Program

Chair, National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations

Past-President, The American Art Therapy Association

Pronouns: she/her(s)

margaret.carlock@prescott.edu

2026 Expressive Arts Therapy Summer Institute
Brief Schedule

All times are listed in Arizona time, currently equivalent to Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)

Breakfast will be available 8:15 am-8:45 am, and lunch will be offered 12:00 pm -1:00 pm daily during the Institute. Sun., May 31st , a bag lunch will be available for pick up after breakfast. There will be a bag lunch offered on Friday, June 5th. Please wear comfortable old clothes that can get messy, bring an unlined journal, and a good writing implement each day.

At 8:50 am, we will open each day with a morning circle and intention setting.

At 4:10 pm, each afternoon we will gather for reflection and gratitude in a closing circle.

Margaret Carlock, EdD, LCAT, ATR-BC, ATCS (she/her) is a licensed creative arts therapist in New York, registered, board-certified art therapist and an art therapy certified supervisor. She is a leader in the profession with experience as an educator, clinical art therapist, and international speaker. Margaret’s contributions focus on working with individuals and groups, program development, professional advocacy, and education. She has clinical experience working people of all ages, with expertise in school and after school environments, issues of aging, including dementia, program development. In 2021, Margaret opened Chroma Soul Arts, an organization focused on providing virtual and in-person creative arts community groups and retreats, addressing self-esteem, social connection, self-care, aging, prevention, and wellness. Margaret is also a clinical faculty member at Prescott College, coordinating and teaching in the Expressive Arts Therapy Post Master’s Certificate Program. Margaret is Chair of the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations and a past president of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA). In her spare time, you can find Margaret hiking in natural environments, particularly in the Southwest, photographing, making pottery, creating, and spending time with friends and family.

Nicole Schutzbank, LPC, LCAT, ATR-BC, ATCS (she/her) is an art therapist, counselor, and clinical supervisor with experience serving diverse populations across clinical and community settings. In 2023, she founded Tender Creative®, a private practice based in Tucson, Arizona, specializing in counseling, art therapy, clinical supervision, and professional consultation. Nicole has been teaching at Prescott College since 2021, supporting students' professional identity development, clinical skills, and the integration of creativity into practice. She earned her undergraduate degree in Art History and Studio Art from Pace University and her master's degree in Clinical Art Therapy and Counseling from Long Island University. Originally from New York, Nicole relocated to Arizona in 2019. She is currently completing her dissertation in Counselor Education and Supervision, with a concentration in Leadership, at the University of the Cumberlands, where her research explores the role of creativity in counselor education and supervision. Nicole holds clinical licensure in Arizona, New York, and Washington. She is also a Board-Certified Registered Art Therapist, an Art Therapy Certified Supervisor, and a non-REAT-approved expressive arts therapy supervisor through the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. In her free time, Nicole enjoys art making, spending time in nature, traveling, and life with her husband and their beloved orange cat, Eli.

Jennifer Hicks, MMT, MT-BC, E-RYT (she/her/hers) is a board-certified music therapist, a licensed music educator, an experienced registered yoga teacher, and the founder of Joyful Noises LLC. Jennifer specializes in mentoring music therapy students and professionals through 1:1 supervision, the MT Mentor membership community, and continuing music therapy education courses. Jennifer’s vision is to create and support courageous communities that work towards social justice and encourage cultural humility, lifelong learning, gratitude, and living in the AND* to inspire joy and sustainable, wholistic wellness. Her mission is to use her foundation of music therapy, marketing, and mindfulness-based principles to:

Inspire and empower students, professionals, and clients to experience and create joy in their lives through living in the AND* and through prioritizing sustainable, wholistic wellness,
Create and support courageous communities built on cultural humility, where all are welcomed and encouraged to grow and where cultural intersectionalities are explored and honored as we work towards social justice together, and
Partner with music therapy and creative arts organizations and businesses as we seek to move our professions forward through guest lectures, presentations, supervision, and service.

Jennifer is the Communications Coordinator for the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations. She previously served as Co-Chair for the American Music Therapy Association Commission on the Education and Clinical Training of 21st Century Music Therapists and as a member of the World Federation of Music Therapy Clinical Practice Commission.

* Living in the AMD embraces complex and nuanced non-dualistic thinking and belief.

Megan Van Meter, MA, LPC, LMHC, LPC-AT/S, ATR-BC is registered and board-certified by the Art Therapy Credentials Board as well as licensed by the counseling boards in Arizona, Indiana, and Texas. She earned her master’s degree in art therapy from the University of Louisville, where she was trained by Vija Lusebrink and Sandra (Kagin) Graves-Alcorn, co-creators of the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC).

The ETC is a pantheoretical framework that combines a multileveled understanding of information processing within the nervous system and multidimensional interventive inputs for influencing physical, emotional, and intellectual integration. Megan has an online practice for adults and offers Expressive Therapies Continuum consultation, supervision, and training to therapists who want to level up their understanding of this framework for making responsive, outcome-informed decisions in client-centered care.

She enjoys teaching others about this ahead-of-its-time model and is hopeful that a new generation of art and expressive therapists will find value in learning to organize and orchestrate treatment within the comprehensive system her mentors developed and trained her to embody. Megan is currently developing a community of ETC enthusiasts and shares information with them through a monthly newsletter and other announcements. See www.meganvanmeter.com/for-expressive-therapists for more details.

Griff Goehring has taught and performed creative dance improvisation since the 1970s. Her methods are rooted in her training with Barbara Mettler, a pioneer in dance, and reflect Mettler’s dedication to freedom of expression based in natural human movement. “My goal as a teacher is to wake up my students to their innate creative movement resources. My goal as a dancer is to be alive in the moment in my movement in relationship to the world around me.” Griff was a member of Mettler’s professional groups from 1978-1986. She collaborated with the late Paul Fisher in the performance art group, Griffinfish. She received her master’s in dance/movement therapy in 1993. Griff founded and directed Green Mountain Creative Dance Center in Vermont from 1996-2016. She directed several performance groups during that time including the Bicycle Dance Troupe which offered workshops and performances as it pedaled through Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Griff returned to Tucson in 2020 where she continues to teach, dance, and celebrate Arizona’s natural beauty.

Kachina Mooney, MA, LPC, ATR-BC is a leader in the fields of art therapy and counseling, recognized for her commitment to ethical practice, advocacy, and fostering inclusivity and belonging. She integrates art-based approaches into clinical practice to support healing, resilience, and meaning-making with individuals, families, and groups. Her work centers on serving diverse and historically marginalized populations, including LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants, and asylum seekers.

Kachina is the founder of Go Glo Therapy, a private practice grounded in creativity, accessibility, and client-centered care. Through her practice, she creates spaces that support personal transformation and identity exploration through relational and art-based therapeutic approaches.

At the national level, Kachina serves as a board member of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), contributing to strategic leadership and governance in support of the profession’s growth and ethical standards. She is also a clinical supervisor and art therapy educator, mentoring emerging clinicians and promoting inclusive, ethical practice. Additionally, she is an active advocate for art therapy licensure in Pennsylvania.

Workshop Descriptions

Wednesday, May 27
9:00 am-12:00 noon (3-hour session)

Introduction and Orientation: Introductions, Expectations and Aspirations
Dr. Margaret Carlock

Through an opening circle exercise, we will come together to begin the Institute experience.

Participants will engage in creating intention, art making, and witness dialoging with their imagery. The intentions for self and community that emerge will provide the foundation for EATSI expectations and interactions. Together we will begin to develop a space for accepting, inclusive, open experiences during the Institute.

1:00 pm-4:00 pm (3-hour session)

Cultivating Group Cohesion Through Creative Process
Dr. Margaret Carlock and Nicole Schutzbank

Through intermodal creative practices participants will experience group development in the moment while deepening their understanding of how group cohesion effects therapeutic outcomes. We will explore various expressive arts and art therapy processes that emphasize collaboration, intersubjectivity, and embodied presence, to support development of group cohesion and inform therapeutic group work. By creating in the presence of others, experiencing witnessing, and relational dynamics participants with be able to identify and explore how shared creative experience strengthen trust, belonging, attunement, and mutual recognition within groups.

Thursday, May 28

9:00 am- 4:00 pm (6-hour session)

Experiencing, Understanding, and Integrating Music in Your Personal and Professional Practices
Jennifer Hicks

Prior to this workshop, you will be invited to reflect, in words and/or images, on the role of music in your personal and professional life, both past and present. You will be encouraged to complete a brief literature search for at least three music therapy articles related to an area of personal or professional interest and to write down at least two questions you have about music therapy or therapeutic music. Finally, you will be provided with directions to begin creating your own musical autobiography playlist.

During the workshop, we will explore a variety of music therapy methods and experiences, with options given for participating at whatever level you choose. We will differentiate between music therapy and therapeutic music and discuss considerations for integrating music into your own personal and professional practices.

Whether or not you collaborate with music therapists or incorporate music into your own work, you likely have your own relationship with music, and the clients with whom you work will likely have their own relationships with music as well. Being aware of both the healthy and unhealthy ways music can affect our physiological, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being can inform the work we do and enhance our self-awareness and self-care, reducing the potential for burnout. I look forward to creating a brave space with you where we can all learn and grow together.

Fri., May 29

9:00 am- 4:00 pm (6-hour session)

Introduction to the Expressive Therapies Continuum
Megan Van Meter

This experiential learning opportunity will familiarize students with the principles of the Expressive Therapies Continuum, which was co-created by art therapy pioneers Vija Lusebrink and Sandra (Kagin) Graves-Alcorn. This ahead-of-its-time model pairs multileveled information processing with multidimensional interventive inputs to integrate a client’s physical, emotional, and intellectual functioning. The framework of the ETC can be used for assessment, treatment planning, intervention, progress monitoring, and case conceptualization, but first clinicians need to understand how their own biases concerning art materials and methods may influence their ability to practice with fidelity to the model. Students will be provided with an abundance of opportunities to learn about their preferences as they relate to Kinesthetic, Sensory, Perceptual, Affective, Cognitive, and Symbolic processes. Engaging these through hands-on exploration and gaining exposure to Media Dimension Variables will help students develop an embodied, implicit familiarity with the ETC in a way that surpasses what can be absorbed through reading materials and didactic presentations alone. To that effect, common myths about the ETC will also be examined and refuted so students can separate ETC fact from ETC fiction as they continue with their educational journey long after the conclusion of this workshop.

Saturday, May 30

9:00 am-4:00 pm (6-hour session)

Moving-Sensing-Knowing
Griff Goehring

Creative dance invites us to come home to our physical selves. It is simultaneously playful and deep, engaging our physical and intellectual presence as we explore our expressive movement potential. Participants will start with movements they already know how to do: wiggle, shake, stretch. They will learn to use movement imagination and develop movement relationships with others in a supportive environment to expand their range of movement expression. They will explore the dynamics of tension and relaxation within the muscles and how this affects both one’s inner experience and one’s impact on the outer world. The workshop is 90% experiential; but we will take time to discuss the principles behind free movement expression and its potential use in therapeutic relationships. This workshop is made possible by the financial support of Mettler Studios, Inc., a 501( c )3 Nonprofit organization.

Sunday, May 31

9:00 am - 4:00 pm (6-hour session)

Day of Self-Compassion and Discovery at the Granite Dells
Dr. Margaret Carlock

Transportation and bag lunch available. One of Prescott AZ’s treasures, the Granite Dells, a little over 4 miles north of downtown Prescott, offers unique granite rock formations, 2 small lakes, and miles upon miles of trails. The two main areas that visitors go to daily are the city parks located in the Granite Dells. Watson Lake Park and Willow Lake Park. EATSI participants are encouraged to meet for breakfast on the Prescott College campus and then join or follow the Prescott College van to Watson Lake for a day of grounded reflection in nature, exploring and recharging. All participants are required to be ready to share something that affected them while at the lake area when we return to the EATSI campus location on Monday.

Monday, June 1

9:00 am-4:00 pm (6-hour session)

Beads, Bonds, and Becoming: Grief, Relational-Cultural Theory, and Queer Worldmaking
Kachina Mooney

This experiential workshop invites EATSI participants to explore grief through a relational, creative, and culturally responsive lens by making beaded jewelry. Grounded in Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) and queer worldmaking, participants will engage in a hands-on art process that centers connection, mutual empathy, and the collective creation of meaning in the presence of loss.

Rather than framing grief solely as an individual or intrapsychic experience, this workshop emphasizes grief as relational, contextual, and shaped by identity, community, and systems of power. Queer worldmaking offers a framework for understanding how individuals and communities create meaning, continuity, and belonging in response to loss, rupture, and transformation. Through guided reflection and beaded adornment, participants will explore how grief can coexist with creativity, resilience, and relational repair.

The workshop will include brief didactic content, experiential art-making, small-group dialogue, and clinical reflection. Participants will gain practical tools for integrating RCT- and queer worldmaking–informed art interventions into clinical practice, particularly when working with LGBTQIA+ and marginalized clients. Jewelry making will serve as both a symbolic and embodied practice for honoring relationships, sustaining connection, and imagining new ways of being in the aftermath of loss.

Tues. June 2

9:00 am-4:00pm (6-hour session)

What Makes an Open Studio Art Therapy Model Effective
Dr. Margaret Carlock

In this session we will define therapeutic open studio frameworks and discuss the elements to consider and cultivate to achieve therapeutic outcomes in this type of setting. Several open studio models will be explored theoretically. Ample time will be offered to explore and integrate the learning and personal development that has begun this week. Spending non-directed time will allow for meaningful media exploration, including use of natural elements, creating outdoors, and collaborative opportunities. After experiential work, participants will discuss aspects of cultivating a therapeutic space, group dynamics, process, ethical considerations, boundaries, confidentiality, and other key factors as they relate to group facilitation using open studio models.

Wed. and Thurs. June 3-4
9:00 am-4:00pm (6-hour session each day)

Collaborative Creating: Engaging Communities in Expressive Arts Therapies
Dr. Margaret Carlock

Through a therapeutic lens, we’ll examine the use of community collaborative projects as group interventions. Participants will engage in the generative process of planning and executing a collaborative group experience for local community participants to gain direct experience of the many benefits these processes can afford. By engaging in a collaborative group process, participants will gain a unique view, experiencing and assessing the benefits, concerns, and overall value of community art making in therapeutic settings. We’ll further consider community art making in the context of a wellness model, moving away from the medical model and
into preventive, community-based opportunities.

Group Experiential Learning
Dr. Margaret Carlock

Building on a collaborative creating framework, participants will engage in imagining, organizing, and facilitating a group project from conception through completion with local participants. As a group, EATSI participants will endeavor to structure, plan, and facilitate implementation of a creative project that will be completed on campus. This experience will address multiple objectives, including gaining experience with group facilitation, planning, co-leading, and connecting with the wider Prescott community. Observations, reflections, and journaling will enhance learning and provide a foundation for group processing once the project is completed. This active learning project aims to strengthen participants’ understanding of group dynamics, collaborative work, potential therapeutic goals, and applications, as well as provide an opportunity for community based experiential learning.

Friday, June 5

9:00 am-12:00 pm (3-hour session)

Reflecting and Closing Circle
Dr. Margaret Carlock

As the Institute closes, we’ll use creative exploration to reflect on the rich learning, and personal development that has begun and will continue to grow beyond this experience. A framework of openness will inform our reflection on the many experiences, both personal and collective, that have occurred during the Institute. Using various forms of creative expression, we will begin to integrate our learning and set the stage for continued reflection and growth.

EAT students must register for the full EATSI, May 27-June 5, 2025, to satisfy the EAT Certificate requirement. Current students register through the Prescott College system (as you typically register for courses).

Alumni, non-EAT MS in Counseling students, and community members may register for all or part of the EATSI.

Fees:

Full Program with campus housing: $2800.00

Full Program without campus housing: $2400.00

Fee Per day:

6-hour day only- $250.00 (May 27-30 and June 1-4 only)

Nightly campus housing: $39

Please note:

June 5, 2026, is not eligible for separate registration.

Two-day presentations must be attended in their entirety.

Inquire with Financial Aid about qualifying for aid for EATSI attendance.

Registration is now open.

Current EAT Students Register via the Prescott College student course registration process.

Counseling students, Alumni, and community members

Prescott College Expressive Arts Therapy Summer Institute 2026
Wednesday May 27 - Friday, June 5, 2026
Prescott College, Prescott, AZ

The Expressive Arts Therapy Summer Institute

The Summer Institute Workshop Presenters:

2026 Institute Schedule

Workshop Descriptions

Location

Registration Information

Prescott College Expressive Arts Therapy Summer Institute 2026 Wednesday May 27 - Friday, June 5, 2026Prescott College, Prescott, AZ

The Expressive Arts Therapy Summer Institute

The Summer Institute Workshop Presenters:

2026 Institute Schedule

Workshop Descriptions

Location

Registration Information

Prescott College Expressive Arts Therapy Summer Institute 2026
Wednesday May 27 - Friday, June 5, 2026
Prescott College, Prescott, AZ