Two students in PennWest University’s counseling program received national recognition with their research and presentations in art therapy.

Lauren McGill, who is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling with a concentration in art therapy, received the American Art Therapy Association's Rawley Silver Award for Excellence – which is awarded to a student member with an outstanding academic record.

Lauren McGill, who is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling with a concentration in art therapy, received the American Art Therapy Association's Rawley Silver Award for Excellence

The Rawley Silver Award of up to $1,000 is given to fund art therapy research projects in the proposal stage.

Alicia Seymour ’22, who recently earned her master’s degree in counseling with art therapy and clinical mental health counseling concentrations, presented her culminating research project “Growing with Grief” at the 2022 American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference in December.

In collaboration with assistant counseling professor Carolyn Brown Treadon, Seymour addressed

the diverse needs of grieving individuals by combining empirically supported grief models with art therapy directives. Addressing the evolving needs of a grieving individual, the curriculum aims to prevent complicated bereavement.