Degrees and Certifications

Responsibilities

Academic Interests

Service-learning (particularly arts based service-learning)

Art based research and art based pedagogies

Biography

Area of Expertise

 Art Therapy with substance use disorders (SUD),  art therapy interventions to alleviate trauma;  art therapy in community settings; art therapy for wellness and self-care; art therapy education.

Research Interests

I am interested in how art making contributes to the health and wellness of individuals and communities impacted by trauma—the trauma experienced by people living with substance use disorders (SUD), people and communities who may have experienced violence, homelessness and poverty; and with refugees exposed to war and conflict trauma. Recently my research has expanded to encompasses art therapy assessment for these populations.

Awards

• 2024                                                                                                                                                                                                              Wayne State University inaugural Community Engagement Award
• 2015
  American Art Therapy Association Distinguished Service Award
• 2014
  American Art Therapy Association Rawley Silver Research Award                                                                                          

 

Grants

2023. Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan, (PI), ArtsHUB Detroit: Leveraging the Power of the Arts to Empower Detroit Children, Families and Communities

2022. State of Michigan. Conflict Trauma Technical Assistance for School Districts co-PI with Arash Javanbahkt, MD  (Medicine) 

2021. American Association of Medical Colleges and National Endowment for the Humanities. Co-PI with Grace Serra (CFPCA) and Jennifer Mendez (Medicine). Using Visual Thinking Strategies to Enhance Observation Skills through Art and Imaging

2020-21. Ford Community Corps: co-PI with With Mack Alive. This grant supported student  service-learners in summer/fall internship classes and Mack Alive's mural initiative, resulting in a mural on the subject of how is time used during the pandemic.

2021. WSU Bold Moves: co-PI with Mary Anderson (CFPCA) Carolyn Dayton (Social Work) and other faculty for: ArtsHUB Detroit: Leveraging the Power of the Arts to Empower Detroit Children, Families and Communities.

Community Engagement Activities

Saturday Art Therapy Workshop, Founder, Coordinator

http://coe.wayne.edu/ted/art-therapy/index.php

ArtsCorpsDetroit

http://art.wayne.edu/artscorpsdetroit.php

MentalHealth and Wellness Clinic

https://education.wayne.edu/mental-health-and-wellness-clinic

Stress Trauma and Anxiety Research Clinic

https://www.starclab.org/collaborators

Presentations

• Select presentations: Invited and keynote:
• Kapitan, L., & Feen-Calligan, H., (2024). The emancipatory stance: Collaborative partnerships for “troubling” art therapy practice. Paper accepted for the annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Feen-Calligan, H., Anand, S., Malhotra, B. & Callihan, E. (2024). Building bridges with Visual Thinking Strategies: Promoting dialogue, understanding and inclusion. Panel accepted for the annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Javanbakht, A., Khalil, D., Hinchey, L., Grasser, L., & Feen-Calligan, H. (2024). Working with Refugee Patients and Participants: Cultural Considerations in Research and Interventions that Work. Symposium accepted for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America conference. Boston, MA.
• Feen-Calligan, H. & Serra, G. (2022, Nov. 10). Using Visual Thinking Strategies to Enhance Observation Skills Through Art and Imaging, Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Minneapolis, MN
  Gentry Lamb, E., Jenkins, R., Mendez, J., Serra, G. Feen-Calligan, H. Balhara, K., & Garvin, J. (2022, March 26). Claiming space for health humanities in MedEd: The challenge of translating value. Health Humanities Consortium Virtual Conference: Spaces of/for Health Humanities.
  Feen-Calligan, H., Grasser, L., Sniderman, D., & Nasser, S. (2021). Refugee and immigrant experiences: Eight young women share their stories though photovoice. annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association, (virtual) October 23.
• Daod, E., Kapitan, L., Feen-Calligan, H., Bardot, H., & Beasley, J. (2019, November 2). Stress, risk and resilience in Syrian and Iraqi refugees and survivors of torture. Invited panelist presenter as part of the Master Class: Art therapy with refugee and migrant populations. Presented at the annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Kansas City, MO.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2019, March 29). Creating Solutions to the Crisis of Addictions: How can art therapy Help? Invited Keynote. Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2017, April 7). Creative Collective Action. Invited Keynote: Mount Mary University-Wisconsin Art Therapy Association Spring Symposium. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2019, May 17). The importance of art in personal and collective mindsets: Benefits for community building activism and outcomes. Invited presentation for inVivo Planetary Health, 8th annual international conference, Detroit, MI.
• Feen-Calligan, H., Grasser, L., Debryn, J., Nasser, S., Seguin, D., & Jackson, C. (2018, November 1). Art therapy interventions to relieve trauma and stress in refugee youth. Refereed panel presentation accepted for the conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Miami, FL.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2017, November 9). Have heart, will traverse: Art therapy and community engagement through volunteerism. Refereed paper presented at the conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Albuquerque, NM.
  •Matthews, W. & Feen-Calligan, H. (2016, March 17). Pre-professional art based service-learning in music education and art therapy. Refereed paper accepted by the National Association for Music Education, Atlanta, GA.
• Feen-Calligan, H., & Conley-Berry, J. (2015, July 9). The “Art Alive” Project: Beginning Art Therapy at a Community Center. Refereed paper presented American Art Therapy Association, Minneapolis, MN.
• Feen-Calligan, H. & Moreno, J. (2013). Promoting Healthy Communities through Art Therapy, Photovoice and ArtsCorpsDetroit Community Partnerships. Refereed paper presented at the American Art Therapy Association, Seattle, WA.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2013). ArtsCorpsDetroit:A community based participatory action research project. Refereed paper presented at the International Art Therapy Association conference, London, UK.
• Select local:
• Feen-Calligan, H., Raubolt, R., Williams, J. Davis, K. (2018, October 12). Art as Medicine. 360° Degrees of Heidelberg, Exploring New Directions for a Sustainable Arts Community. Detroit, MI.
• Feen-Calligan, H., (2012). Preparing students in human service professions to work with children and families living with homelessness and poverty. Understanding the Impact of Poverty on Education, College of Education, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
• Feen-Calligan, H., Moreno, J., & Faruolo, E. (2011). ArtsCorpsDetroit and its potential role in revitalizing the City of Detroit. Detroit Design Festival, Detroit, MI.
• Feen-Calligan, H., Gregory, S., & Zimmerman, M. (2015, November 6). Creative action for health and happiness. Refereed paper presented at the WSU Humanities Center Fall Symposium, “The Good Life.”
• Grasser, L. R., Feen-Calligan, H., Teufel, N. A., Shin, D., Alsaud, M., Al-Saghir, H., Nasry, L., Javanbahkt, A. (2017, September 29). Dance, art and yoga interventions for trauma and stress for refugees. WSU ROBUST Symposium. Refereed poster presentation.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2017, September). Symposium on Art in Community. Invited speaker. Detroit Institute of Arts.

 

Featured publications

Using visual thinking strategies to enhance observation skills

Feen-Calligan, H., Serra, G., Farrell, K., Mendez, J., McQuillen, E., Murphy, C., & Amponsah, D. (2023, in-press.). Using visual thinking strategies to enhance observation skills. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association.

Keywords

Implicit bias
Assessment
Art therapy

Art therapy and medical students (N=45) participated in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to: 1) enhance observation skills, 2) examine interdisciplinary approaches to assessment, 3) determine VTS’ impact on awareness of implicit bias. Quantitative and qualitative questionnaires and a post-procedure reflective focus group evaluated participants’ baseline experiences and the perceived usefulness of VTS to influence observation and bias awareness. Qualitative data indicated VTS improved observation skills and enhanced awareness of implicit biases. Although the one statistically significant result questioned students’ continued interest in VTS, 3 non-significant items on quantitative measures reflected gains regarding VTS to improve communication with patients, and to aid in determining implicit biases within health fields.

The significance of VTS for art therapy education is its potential to increase awareness of cultural biases that could impact art therapy assessment skills. 

Photovoice Techniques and Art Therapy Approaches with Refugee and Immigrant Adolescents

Feen-Calligan, H., Grasser, L., Sniderman, D., & Nasser, S. (2023, April) Photovoice Techniques and Art Therapy Approaches with Refugee and Immigrant Adolescents. The Arts in Psychotherapy.

Keywords

Art therapy
Refugees
Photovoice

This paper describes a program informed by art therapy and Photovoice approaches and techniques aimed at helping new immigrant and refugee teens to navigate personal and cultural identities by reflecting on their experiences as new residents in the US. Photovoice is a photography and social action method that encourages participants to photograph aspects of their daily lives, reflect on their meaning and significance and galvanize necessary changes. The program began in February 2020 at the Arab-American National Museum (AANM), but was adapted for an online format and re-framed towards a reflection on the COVID-19 pandemic. Broad questions teens explored included: What is good? What is challenging? What is sustaining during challenging times? What needs to change? and What about your culture and background are you proud of and wish to share with other US residents? Highlights of the sessions demonstrate how art therapy interventions paralleled photography-assigned themes of self, home, and community and encouraged group interaction and mutual support. A virtual museum exhibition culminated the program and reached community leaders. 

Creating through COVID: Virtual art therapy for youth resettled as refugees

 Feen-Calligan, H., Grasser, L. R., Smigels, J., McCabe, N., Kremer, B., Al-Zuwayyin, A., Yusif, I., Alesawy, N., Alnouri, J., & Javanbakht, A. (2023, in press). Creating through COVID: Virtual art therapy for youth resettled as refugees. Art Therapy, 40 (1).

Keywords

Stress
Trauma
Refugees
Youth
Psychopathology
COVID-19
Virtual art therapy

Art therapy reduces trauma-related psychopathology in refugee youth. Given the added stress of COVID-19 on traumatized refugee populations, we adapted art therapy for refugee youth and their families in the virtual space. We describe program development, implementation and experientials, and clinical recommendations illustrated through two cases. Observations and feedback support art therapy as a tool to address socioemotional functioning in families who resettle as refugees and foster positive emotions, sense of self and community, confer stress coping skills, and enhance resilience. In light of the persistence of the pandemic, the unprecedented number of global refugees, and their unique needs for mental health services, virtual art therapy can expand accessibility and reach of beneficial methods to address trauma in refugee groups.

Murals and photography in community engagement and assessment

Feen-Calligan, H., Barton, E., Moreno, J., & Buzzard, E. (2022). Murals and photography in community engagement and assessment. In E. Huss & E. Bos (Eds.), Social Work Research Using Art Based Methods (pp. 129-138). Policy Press.

This chapter describes how photography and mural methods help facilitate both community engagement and assessment of outcomes, to a) promote disciplinary and community collaboration, b) enhance individual participants as well as the community, c) document university-community partnerships and projects and d) assess outcomes through constituent voices (film), photographs and completed mural. Arts-based research methods and their applications for social work are exemplified through a project of an urban research university’s community engagement program: ArtsCorps. 

Keywords

Photovoice
Murals
Service learning

 

Art Therapy with Syrian Refugees: An Intervention Study

Feen-Calligan, H., Ruvolo Grasser, L., Debryn, J., Nasser, S., Jackson, C., Seguin, D., & Javanbakht, A. (2020). Art Therapy with Syrian Refugees: An Intervention Study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 69.

This article describes a 12-week intervention program for Syrian refugee youth who have lived in the U.S. for approximately one year. The purpose of this study was to identify and develop art therapy interventions that would reduce stress and severity of trauma-related psychopathology while providing coping skills for youth aged 17 and under. Psychological questionnaire data were collected to obtain subjective and objective changes in trauma-related symptoms over the course of the art therapy program. The findings incited a large statistically significant effect of art therapy on posttraumatic stress and separation anxiety (p = .05; d >.8) compared to no treatment controls, and moderate effects of art therapy on anxiety, panic disorder, and GAD (d >.5) compared to no treatment controls. The reduction in stress was reflected behaviorally in participants’ positive affect, increased interest in art activities and increased coping (as evidenced through interaction with media, problem solving, participant initiated coping strategies and social support). The paper includes a review of relevant literature, description of select interventions, and recommendations for future work in art therapy with refugees.

Art therapy, community, activism and outcomes

Feen-Calligan, H. Moreno, J., & Buzzard, E. (2020). Art therapy, community, activism and outcomes. In T. Shafir, H. Orkibi, F.A. Baker, D Gussak & G. Kamal (Eds.) The State of the Art in Creative Arts Therapies. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA. doi: 10.3389/978-2-88963-561-0 Apple Books.

This is a descriptive study of two groups who came together through a service-learning assignment: The first group is art therapy students enrolled in a research class who worked with six community agencies to help them prepare for undergraduate service-learning placements in an upcoming semester; they also assisted the agencies with program evaluation. The second group is the six community agency directors who were planning for service-learners enrolled in an art history class titled Art as A Social Practice. Service-learning is an experiential learning pedagogy where community service is integrated into an academic course, and where the services performed meet genuine community needs. The hyphen in service-learning represents the ideal that both students and community agencies experience benefits from the relationship, although in reality, it is often the experiences of the students rather than the agencies who help prepare them that receive greater attention in the scholarly research and literature. The present study places focus on the community agencies who, in the process of meeting with arts faculty to plan a service-learning course, made two unexpected requests: First they expressed their strong desire for student placements that were longer than one semester, and secondly, they all requested assistance with evaluating the effectiveness of their programs. This chapter is about the efforts to respond to these requests through the assistance of art therapy research students. With growing trends in community-based art therapy practice, greater attention to the community agencies where art therapists work is necessary and valuable to art therapy preparation. The chapter describes six distinctive communities, illustrating new frontiers of practice. The research students’ experiences and the experiences of the community partners were assessed using qualitative methods that included pre and post questionnaires, written reflections of students, interviews of agency directors and agency/student/researcher focus group transcripts. This study will inform other art therapy programs who may want to use a service-learning approach to teaching research. A discussion of the promising practices of service-learning and research, as well as some challenges leads to recommendations for art therapy education.

Publications

• Select  publications
• Feen-Calligan, H., Serra, G., Farrell, K., Mendez, J., McQuillen, E., Murphy, C.*, & Amponsah, D. (2023). Using visual thinking strategies to enhance observation skills. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2023.2254200
• Feen-Calligan, H., Grasser, L., Nasser, S.*, Sniderman, D.*, & Javanbakht. A. (2023). Photovoice Techniques and Art Therapy Approaches with Refugee and Immigrant Adolescents. The Arts in Psychotherapy 83, 102005. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197455623000126?via%3Dihub
• Feen-Calligan, H., Grasser, L. R., Smigels, J., McCabe, N., Kremer, B., Al-Zuwayyin, A., Yusif, I., Alesawy, N., Alnouri, J., & Javanbakht, A. (2023, in press). Creating through COVID: Virtual art therapy for youth resettled as refugees. Art Therapy, 40(1).
• Feen-Calligan, H., Barton, E., Moreno, J.*, Buzzard, E.*, & Jackson, M., (2021). Using murals and photography as arts based methods in community engagement and assessment. In Huss, E., & van Ham, T. Art in Social Work Practice Vol 2: Art Based Research Methods. Routledge Policy Press.
• Feen-Calligan, H., Ruvolo Grasser, L., Debryn, J., Nasser, S., Jackson, C., Seguin, D., Javanbakht, A. (2020). Art therapy with Syrian refugee youth in the United States: An intervention study, The Arts in Psychotherapy, 69, 101665, ISSN 0197-4556, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2020.101665.
•  Feen-Calligan, H., Moreno, J., & Buzzard, E. (2018, 24 September). Art therapy, community, activism and outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01548
• Feen-Calligan, H. & Case, W. (2018). The use of art therapy in detoxification from substance use disorders in D. Elkis-Abuhoff & M. Gaydos (Eds.) Art and Expressive Therapies within a Medical Model: Clinical Applications (164-176). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Moxley, D., & Feen-Calligan, H. (2017). Organizing for Arts-Based Social Action in the Helping Professions. Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education, 34, 116-133.
• Feen-Calligan, H. & Matthews, M. (2016). Pre-professional arts based service-learning in music education and art therapy. International Journal of Education and the Arts, 17(17).
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2015). Art therapy, homelessness and poverty. In D. Gussak & M. Rosal (Eds.), Art Therapy: A Comprehensive Resource (pp. 506-519). West Sussex, England: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2001). Enlightenment in art therapy in recovery from addiction: A grounded theory. In J. Creswell (Author), Educational research: Planning, conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Columbus, OH: Merrill Education/Simon and Schuster
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2012). Professional identity perceptions of dual prepared art therapy graduates. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 29(4), 150-157.
• Moxley, D., Feen-Calligan, H. Washington, O., & Garriott (2011). The quilting workshop as self-efficacy group work with older African American women transitioning out of homelessness. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 28(3), 113-122.
• Feen-Calligan, H., Washington, O. G. M., & Moxley, D. (2009). Homelessness among older African American women: Interpreting a serious social issue through the arts in community based participatory action research. New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy, 19(4), 423-448.
• Feen-Calligan, H., Washington, O. & Moxley, D. (2008). Use of art work as a visual processing modality in group treatment of chemically dependent minority women. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 35, 287-295. 
• Moxley, D., Washington, O. & Feen-Calligan, H. (2008). The social action art installation as educational forum: Fostering awareness of the lived experience among older African-American homeless women. Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education, 26, 95-106.
• Feen-Calligan, H. & Nevedal, D. (2008). Evaluation of an art therapy workshop: Client perceptions and future directions. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 25(4), 177-182.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2008). Service-learning and art therapy in a homeless shelter. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 35, 20-33.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2007). The use of art therapy in detoxification from chemical addiction. Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal, 20, 16-28.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2007). Linking personal qualifications with education standards. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 24, 64-70.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (2004). Art and inclusive education. Democracy & Education, 15, 101-107.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (1995). The use of art therapy to promote spiritual recovery from addiction. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 12, 46-50.
• Feen-Calligan, H. (1992). Painting a field of dreams: Art therapy with closed head injuries. Journal of Head Injury, 3, 6-9.

 

Courses taught by Holly Rae Feen-Calligan, Ph.D., ATR-BC

Winter Term 2025 (future)

• AT7999 - Art Therapy Master's Project and Specialization

Fall Term 2024 (current)

• AT6320 - Art Therapy: Introduction and Ethics
• AT7000 - Research in Art Therapy

Winter Term 2024

• AT7999 - Art Therapy Master's Project and Specialization

Fall Term 2023

• AT6320 - Art Therapy: Introduction and Ethics
• AT7000 - Research in Art Therapy

Winter Term 2023

• AT7999 - Art Therapy Master's Project and Specialization

Fall Term 2022

• AT6360 - Aspects of Art Therapy
• AT6340 - Theory of Art Therapy

Winter Term 2022

• AT7999 - Art Therapy Master's Project and Specialization

Recent university news spotlights

• Academic Recognition Ceremony celebrates faculty, staff excellence
• Feen-Calligan part of research team that received grant to help schools support youth refugees and their families
• College of Education’s Mental Health and Wellness Clinic extends mental health services with grant from United Way of Southeastern Michigan

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