The Taiwan Expressive-Creative Arts Therapy Association (E-CATA) is pleased to organize a three-day international conference on expressive and creative arts therapies with the University Social Responsibility (USR) Project of the National Changhua University of Education. 

The conference, titled “Diversity, Cross-Modality and Social Responsibility,” will be held at the Mingde Hall of the National Changhua University of Education from the 18th to 20th April 2025.

On the 18th and 19th of April (Fri & Sat), we will meet experts, scholars, and expressive-creative arts therapy practitioners who will conduct 80-100 minute online and physical parallel panel sessions based on their expertise, clientele, and theoretical orientations.

Participants would learn about the applications and new developments of expressive-creative arts therapies in various fields, such as schools, communities, medical settings, and private practice. For example, in one of the sessions, our music therapists would share with us experiences while working with children with special needs.

Materials and media form an important part of our work, and we can dive deeper into the use of expressive-creative arts media in group counseling, therapy, and career guidance. For instance, one of our sessions includes the use of mindfulness and nature-based media, while another would detail applications of picture cards in expressive-creative arts therapies.

 Those who are interested in cultural competency cannot miss the sessions on “Expressive-Creative Arts Therapies across Borders: Therapists Working in Multicultural Settings,” “Social Initiatives and Social Responsibility of Expressive-Creative Arts Therapists,” and “Cultural Adaptations of Dance Movement Therapy in Taiwan.”

 Furthermore, as an evidence-based clinician, one may as well have asked the question, “How does Neuroscience influence the field of Expressive-Creative Arts Therapies?”  This panel offers us another perspective on the rationale and foundations of our clinical work.

 Following the fruitful parallel panel sessions on the 18th and 19th of April, Dr. Pat Allen will lead a full-day workshop on the 20th of April (Sun).  We look forward to co-creating a mindful, experiential self-care process that brings everything together.  With our collective wisdom, we can all respond internally to ourselves and externally to various social issues creatively.