Cathy A. Malchiodi, PhD, ATR-BC, LPCC, LPAT, REAT, is a psychologist, expressive arts therapist, and art therapist specializing in trauma recovery. She is the founder and executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute that trains mental health and health care practitioners in medical, educational, and community settings and assists in disaster relief and humanitarian efforts throughout the world. Cathy has given more than 500 presentations in the US, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia. She has numerous published books, chapters, and articles in the field of art therapy including Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body and Imagination in the Healing Process, Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children, Breaking the Silence: Working With Traumatized Children, and Understanding Children's Drawings, which are standards in the field. She has trained thousands of counselors, psychotherapists, medical personnel, and educators throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe. In 2011, Cathy founded the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute to meet the need for professional education in the use of expressive arts therapy, mind-body approaches and resilience-building in trauma integration and recovery for children, adults and families. She has received numerous awards for distinguished service, clinical contributions and lifetime achievements, including honors from the Kennedy Center and Very Special Arts in Washington, DC. A passionate advocate for the role of the arts in health, she is a contributing writer for Psychology Today Online with a following of 5 million readers.

Emily Johnson Welsh, EXAT, REAT, LPAT, ATR-BC, LPCC-S, RYT has over 12 years’ experience working with clients and developing mental health resources in expressive arts therapies. She is a graduate of Lesley University’s Expressive Arts Therapy and Mental Health Counseling program in 2008 and is a licensed and board-certified art therapist, licensed clinical counselor supervisor, registered expressive arts therapist and a Yoga Alliance Registered teacher. As faculty for the Trauma-informed Expressive Arts Therapy Institute for over 5 years, she brings a current knowledge of “brain-wise” approaches and body-based interventions that focus on building resilience and community. She provides technology-assisted distance supervision for those working towards the EXAT, EXA-CE, REAT (Registered Expressive Art Therapist) and ATR (Registered Art Therapist).  

Emily’s accomplishments in the field include presentations at conferences for the American Art Therapy Association, Buckeye Art Therapy Association, Kentucky Association for Play Therapy, and International Expressive Art Therapy Association;  authoring and co-authoring chapters in the book Art Therapy and Healthcare (Guildford Press, 2013) ; co-designing and co-facilitating the online artmaking workshop  “Art Therapy + Happiness Project;"  being awarded "Cure Champion" by the American Cancer Society for my accomplishments in bringing expressive art therapy and yoga programming to families fighting cancer.

Most recently, Emily enjoys balancing her expressive arts therapies private practice, Art Yoga Love, LLC, serving children, families, and adults, with yoga studio ownership and teaching! She can also be found enamored with the wonders of raising a little one and learning from this adventure every single day.