Holly Feen-Calligan

Faculty Profile

Professor
aa3597@wayne.edu

Phone

313-577-1823

Degrees and Certifications

  • Ph.D. University of Michigan
  • ATR-BC Registered, Board Certified Art Therapist
  • ATCS Art Therapy Certified Supervisor 

Responsibilities

I coordinate the Art Therapy Program. 

Fax

313-993-7558

Suffix

Ph.D., ATR-BC

Academic Interests

Service-learning (particularly arts based service-learning)

Art based research and art based pedagogies

Office Hours

Office Hours: Via email at hfeen@wayne.edu.

Biography

I completed a Ph.D. in Higher Education at the University of Michigan, and I have a master's degree in Art Therapy from Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Prior to my Wayne State career, I was an art therapist working in adult psychiatry, specializing in art therapy interventions with closed head injuries, and substance use disorders.

I am an an active member of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), making contributions to the field over the years in the capacity of Associate  Editor and Interim Editor of Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, serving on the Education Program Approval Board, as Faculty Convener of the Coalition of Art Therapy Educators, and other leadership roles. I have received two of  AATA's highest honors, the Distinguished Service award and the  Rawley Silver Research Award.

The majority of my career has been at Wayne State University, where I have been able to blend teaching, service and scholarship to nurture an art therapy program strong in service-learning and community partnerships. I initiated the Saturday Art Therapy community program which serves as a practicum for art therapy graduate students. I am  a founding member of ArtsCorpsDetroit, a service-learning research and community engagement program for students, alumni and community members as well as a founding member of ArtsHUBDetroit, whose vision is to offer research based art programs for  children and families for creativity and wellness. These and other research opportunities benefit students, community participants, and the field of art therapy. Since 2017 I have also been a collaborator with the Stress Trauma and Anxiety Research Clinic in the department of psychiatry, where I lead the art-based interventions to alleviate trauma among immigrants and refugees.

Office Location

163 Community Arts Building

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.

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.

 

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.

 

Research Description

Service-learning (particularly arts based service-learning)

Art based research and art based pedagogies

Affiliated Departments