Cathy Malchiodi PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT

Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT, is a research psychologist, clinical mental health counselor, expressive arts therapist, art therapist, and visual artist who has spent over 30 years working with individuals with traumatic stress and studying how the arts support reparation, integration and recovery from trauma. She is a leading international expert in the "healing arts" fields of expressive arts therapy, art in healthcare, and art therapy, and has 30 years of experience in trauma intervention and trauma-informed practice. Cathy has published numerous books, including, Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body, and Imagination in the Healing Process, The Art Therapy Sourcebook, Handbook or Art Therapy, Expressive Therapies, Understanding Children's Drawings, and Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children, all of which have become standard texts; she has also published more than 60 invited book chapters and refereed articles and reviews various mental health journals. A popular speaker, Cathy has given over 500 invited keynotes, workshops, and courses throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, Middle East, Australia and Europe. She has been a professor at seven universities throughout the US, including Lesley University, Sacramento State University, and University of Utah.

Cathy is the originator of the practice of trauma-informed art therapy and trauma-Informed expressive arts therapy, approaches based on brain-wise principles, embodied awareness and somatic approaches, sensory integration, and culturally-resonant healing practices. She has provided consultation, service, and expertise to a wide variety of community, national, and international agencies, including the International Child Art Foundation, Department of Defense, Issues Deliberation America/Australia, American Art Therapy Association, International Medical Corp, and Save the Children Foundation. Cathy has also served on the boards of American Counseling Association (ACA), distinguished as the first Representative from the Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC); President of the Counseling Association for Humanistic Education and Development (C-AHEAD); American Art Therapy Association (AATA); Delegate to 20/20 National Future of Counseling Task Force with ACA; Research and Ethics Committees of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare; International Advisory Board, International Child Art Foundation; Advisory Board for Alzheimer's Association of America; and on numerous national and international boards in mental health, education, counseling, arts, and public service. In honor of her clinical and academic contributions, Cathy is the first person to have received all three of the American Art Therapy Association’s highest honors: Distinguished Service Award, Clinician Award, and Honorary Life Member Award. She is the recipient of Kennedy Center Honors and a Very Special Arts (VSA) Award for her art therapy work in Hong Kong and Beijing and is the recipient of the National Institute for Trauma and Loss for her outstanding contributions to the field of trauma intervention with children.

Cathy's current passion includes bringing together the art therapy community worldwide; to this end, she co-founded the non-profit group Art Therapy Without Borders (ATWB), an organization dedicated to using art therapy to wake up the world through service, education, research, and global networking.

Cathy currently resides in the decidedly weird city of Louisville, Kentucky with husband David and furry feline supervisors and task masters, Maxell Edison and Finnegan.