Sheila Lorenzo de la Peña, PhD, ATR-BC, ATCS

Sheila Lorenzo de la Peña is an Assistant Professor of art therapy in the Department of Psychology, Counseling, and Art Therapy. She is registered with the Art Therapy Credentials Board and a Board-Certified art therapy supervisor (ATR-BC, ATCS). She obtained her MS and PhD from Florida State University and worked 13 years with adults living with chronic mental health illness in a forensic setting. Her publications include topics on material use and adaptations for use in art therapy, virtual open studio approaches for wellness, and clinician self-care.

Dr. Lorenzo also coordinates the community art studio and the virtual studio(s) offered through the program. As time allows, she hosts workshops and webinars at the local, state, national, and international level. Topics of interest include weaving creative practices into our lives for wellness, accessible and adaptive means of visual arts expression, and long-term creative practices for processing and documentation of our lived experiences.

Presently an associate editor for the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, the leading scholarly research publication for art therapy in the US. She’s events co-chair of the Pennsylvania Art Therapy Association (PAATA) and a member of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA).

Sheila is constantly creating, exploring, and plotting the next creative endeavor.

Workshops and Presentations

2024, Bringing needle felting to the forefront: Exploring connection and wellness, half-day advance course at the 55th Annual Conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Pittsburgh, PA

2023 Presentation, Curiosity & Compassion Through El Duende Inspired Process Art in Online Supervision, paper presentation at the 54th Annual Conference of the American Art Therapy Association, San Diego, CA

Panel, Virtual Art Therapy: Research and Practice During and Since the Pandemic with Michelle Winkel et al. at the 54th Annual Conference of the American Art Therapy Association, San Diego, CA

Presentation, Using a Virtual Art Therapy Studio to Enhance Wellness presentation at the World Art Therapy Conference with Carolyn Treadon, Virtual

2022 Panel, Art Therapists Walk the Walk: Growth and Resiliency-Focused Art-Making During the Pandemic panel at the 53rd Annual Conference of the American Art Therapy Association with members of the AATA ArtSIG, Minneapolis, MN

Workshop, Solidarity Among BIPOC Communities at the 53rd Annual Conference of the AATA with Miki Nishida Goerdt, Minneapolis, MN

2021 Panel, Across Borderlands and Latina/x Art Methodologies: Engaging in Transformation, Healing, and Testimonios through Transdisciplinary Practices panel at the 17th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry with L. Sotomayor, C. Garcia, & L. Cabrera, Virtual

2020 Workshop, Mandalas for Clinician Self-Care: Using the sacred circle as our guide a workshop with A. Bucciarelli for AATA 51st Annual conference, Virtual

ArtSIG Art-making: #boringselfcare an interactive art-making experience with E. Reiche for AATA 51st Annual conference, Virtual

2020, Revitalizing the Open Studio: A Virtual Community Space for Wellness with E. Reiche & C. Treadon presented at the 7^th Annual Trauma-Informed & Resilient Communities Conference: Bouncing Forward, Virtual

2018 ½ Day Adv. Practice, Printmaking in Therapy: Monoprints & Monotypes, Building on Sensory Awareness a ½ day advanced practice course with M. Beerse at the 49^th Annual Conference of the AATA, Miami, FL

Master Supervision Group, Mindfulness with Chronic Mental Illness Master Supervision at the 49^th Annual Conference of the AATA, Miami, FL

2017 Nov. Focus Group, Pulling it All Together: Identity, Professionalism, and Creative Self a focus group for students at the 48^th Annual Conference of the AATA, Albuquerque, NM

Nov. Paper, Inspiring Creativity: Mindful Arts in Forensic Mental Health a paper presentation for the 48^th Annual Conference of the AATA, Albuquerque, NM

2016 Mar. Presentation, Trauma-Informed Art-based Mindfulness a presentation for the 5^th Annual Circuit II Trauma Informed Care Conference: Instilling Hope, Tallahassee, FL

Publications

Lorenzo de la Peña, S. (in press). Expression is Intrinsic: Materials are not. In D. Gussak & M. Rosal (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Art Therapy [2nd edition]. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers

Lorenzo de la Peña, S. & Treadon, C.B. (2022). Evolution of a virtual art Therapy open studio. In Winkel, M., (Ed). Virtual art therapy: Research and Practice. Routledge.

Goerdt, M., Resurreccion, A., Taziyah, B., Johnson, R., Lorenzo de la Peña, S., & Johnson, T. (2022). BIPOC Art Therapists: Antiracism work through the virtual circle. Art Therapy: journal of the American Art Therapy Association.

Lorenzo de la Peña, S. (2021). Making the most of it: Finding mindfulness through media use. In D. Wong & R. Lay (Eds.), Found Objects in Art Therapy: Materials and Process. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Lorenzo de la Peña, S. (2018). Reminiscing on building communities through creative deeds. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Arts Therapy, 13(1&2), 33-34.

Lorenzo de la Peña, S. (2015). Visual expression and resilience of art therapists (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations. (Paper 9641). http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/etd/9641

Lorenzo de la Peña, S. (2015). 2D expression is intrinsic. In D. Gussak & M. Rosal (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Art Therapy [E-book version]. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers.