Over 200 Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) came in from 50 art therapists and art therapy students who are part of the Art Therapy Alliance and the Materials and Media in Art Therapy community on LinkedIn.  Art therapists and students who contributed were from 17 states across the US and Canada.

Our swap's theme showcased the power of art therapy to help others, communities, and the world. Images and messages of art's power to bring hope, change, recovery, expression, and create meaning in the lives of others were seen throughout many of the ATCs.

Using ATCs in Art Therapy:  This entire swap was inspired by a recently published news story about how an art therapist was using ATCs within her art therapy sessions.  Creating ATCs and/or an ATC exchange among individuals, groups, co-workers, family members, caregivers, etc. could be helpful in the mental health setting to foster compassion, understanding, empathy, raise awareness about various mental health issues, decrease isolation, promote expression and empowerment, as well as validate people's experiences.

Read the exchange's complete wrap up via the Art Therapy Alliance posterous @ http://bit.ly/bsuuoD.  To learn more about the Art Therapy Alliance visit http://www.arttherapyalliance.org.

The Art Therapy Alliance embraces social media and connection on-line to promote art therapy, the work of art therapists, and build community.