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

Sheila Lorenzo de la Peña is an associate professor of art therapy in the Department of Psychology, Counseling and Art Therapy at PennWest University. She is registered with the Art Therapy Credentials Board and is a board-certified art therapy supervisor (ATR-BC, ATCS).

She obtained her M.S. and Ph.D. from Florida State University and worked 13 years working with adults living with chronic mental health conditions in a forensic setting. Her publications focus on material use and adaptations in art therapy, virtual open studio approaches to wellness wellness and clinician self-care.

Dr. Lorenzo also coordinates the community art studio and the virtual studios offered through the program. As time allows, she facilitates workshops and webinars at the local, state, national and international levels, connecting individuals through creativity. 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.

She currently serves as an associate editor for the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, the leading scholarly research publication for art therapy in the United States.

 

Workshops and Presentations

2026, Process art in supervision [masters-level clinician supervision]. 57th Annual Conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Charlotte, NC, United States

2026, Taking-Up Space: Exploring Vulnerability Through Altered Books [workshop] Pennsylvania Art Therapy Association, online.

2025, El Duende informed process art in supervision [masters-level clinician supervision session]. 56th Annual Conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Portland, OR, United States

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

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

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.