Mary Andrus (she/her/hers) resides and works on the Ahantchuyuk, Atfalati, Kalapuya and Clackamas lands. She has a doctorate in art therapy, is a board certified registered art therapist, a certified supervisor and licensed professional counselor. She has been teaching art therapy and supervising students for over a decade in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest.
She has focused her career on expanding the lens of the practice of art therapy, shifting toward liberatory community centered practices. As a teacher she values depth education, creating space for students to examine societal context, use art to know oneself and creating equity in the relational wellbeing within the classroom. Her scholarship focus is on expanding clinical practice beyond traditional practices, the use of film and exhibition in reintegration and implications of art therapy in the treatment of collective trauma.
She is co-chair of the Art for Social Change committee at Lewis and Clark, and is the founder of Art Therapy Studio Chicago Ltd. She has worked with a wide variety of populations in various settings including; community mental health, nursing homes, therapeutic day schools, independent living, inpatient psychiatric hospital and developed a free art therapy program for uninsured pregnant women suffering from perinatal depression.
Her clinical orientation is from a narrative, feminist, social constructionist orientation. She specializes in the treatment of trauma and has completed her Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) training to treat trauma resolution with clients.
Mary was a driving force in the successful effort to secure licensure for art therapists in Oregon. That bill was signed into law on May 25, 2017.
She served in 2011 as president of the Illinois Art Therapy Association. Mary has presented numerous times at national conferences, has published book chapters, articles and had her artwork in books and various journals.
Personal Statement
I believe that art in relationship transforms lives, builds community, examines social constructs, raises critical consciousness and creates a more just society. I am passionate about creating opportunities for all people to reach their full potential through creativity. My role as director combines my passion for teaching and building community to impact the lives of students, teachers, supervisors and clients through rigorous engaged education using art as a mirror into the experience.
I helped spearhead the Art Therapy Law( HB2432) which protects the ethical practice of art therapy in the state. I am committed to impacting social change by ensuring art therapy services are a mainstay in Oregon to help meet the mental health needs of marginalized and underserved populations.
Areas of Expertise
Trauma, Art Exhibition, Filmmaking, Community Building, Advocacy
Current Research
Andrus, M. & Feddersen, K. Art Making on the Nervous System: A Crossover Mixed Methods Study. Lewis & Clark
Andrus, M. & McCoy, M. Exhibition as Exposure Therapy. Lewis & Clark
Publications
Andrus, M. (2023). Collective Storytelling: Art & film to process an unexpected loss. International Journal of Art Therapy. DOI: 10.1080/17454832.2023.2188411
Andrus, M., (2022). Private to Public; Exhibition in art therapy. In Brown, C & Omand, H. C. (Eds.) Contemporary Practice in Studio Art Therapy. Routledge.
Andrus, M., (2022). Cover Artwork, “Attunement”. In Beer, L. & Birnbaum, J. (Eds), Trauma Informed practices for music therapy clinicians. Routledge,
Andrus, M. (2020). Infertility to Motherhood: Collective voices in Art Therapy Challenge Social Constructs. In (Swan-Foster, N., Ed.) Art Therapy and Childbearing Issues: Birth, Death and Rebirth. Routledge.
Beer, L., Andrus, M., & Hubchick, J. (2020). Prosocial Behaviours in a Creative Arts Day Camp With and Without Special Needs: A Mixed-methods Study. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy. 54(3). 220-241.
Andrus, M. (2020). Collective story: Marylhurst to Lewis and Clark. [Documentary film]. Portland, OR: Lewis & Clark College.
Andrus, M. (2019). Exhibition and film about infertility, miscarriage and stillbirth: Art therapy implications. Art Therapy Journal. 37(1). doi:10.1080/07421656.2019.1697577
Andrus, M. (2019). Cover Artwork ,“The protector”. Art Therapy Journal: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. 35(4).
Andrus, M. (2017). Private to public: Therapeutic impact and ethics of sharing artwork in trauma resolution. Unpublished dissertation. Mount Mary University.
Andrus, M. (2016). A review of The body keeps the score: Brain, mind and body in the healing of trauma. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 32(4), 3–5. doi: 10.1080/07421656.2015.1091569
Andrus, M. (2007). Cover Artwork, “A portrait of Don”. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 24(1).
Andrus, M. (2006). Cover Artwork, “I don’t want to be sick”. Journal of Pain and Palliative Care, 20(2). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Medical Press.
Andrus, M. (2004) (Release and a Poem for Ben) in Moon, B., and R. Schoenoholtz (Eds.), Word Pictures, The Poetry and Art of Art Therapists, pp. 65-68. Springfield, IL.: Charles C. Thomas Publisher.
Presentations
Andrus, M. Collective Storytelling: Art and Film to process an unexpected loss. Paper and film presented at the 54th Annual American Art Therapy Association National Conference, San Diego, CA.
Andrus, M. (2023). Polyvagal Art Therapy and Trauma Treatment. Center for Continuing Education, Lewis & Clark. Portland, OR.
*Siulagi, O., *Tsbari, K. & Andrus, M., (2022). Art for Social Change; Activism or Slacktivism? Paper presented at the 53rd Annual American Art Therapy Association National Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Andrus, M. (2021). Wxmen’s Collective Voices; Challenging Constructs of Motherhood. Center for Continuing Education, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Portland, OR.
Andrus, M., & Rivenburgh, Q. (2021). Squashing the box of gender normativity. 40th Annual Gender Studies Symposium, Lewis & Clark College of Arts and Science. Portland, OR.
Andrus M., & Simpson, A. (2021). Collective liberation: Art and film to process a university closure. American Educational Studies Association National Conference: In search of educational liberation, Portland OR.
Andrus, M., Delucia, J., Royster, R., Lounsbury, L. & Stallings, J. (2021). Art for social change group within academia. Creative change agent: Therapist as entrepreneur. 52nd annual American Art Therapy Association Conference.
Andrus, M., & Quintero, A. (2020). Mapping your journey: An art therapy workshop. Ray Warren Symposium, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR.
Andrus, M., Richards, B., Borowski, G., Godshell, C., Harriot, A., & Simpson, A. (2019). Liberation, transformation; Critical theory in art therapy. American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference, Kansas City, MO.
Andrus, M. (2018). From private to public: #Metoo and beyond; ethics and value of sharing art. American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference, Miami, FL.
Andrus, M. (2018).To see, be seen, and see oneself anew: Response art in the intersubjective space. American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference, Miami, FL.
Andrus, M. (2018). Practitioner led research, implications for the field of art therapy. American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference, Miami, FL.
Andrus, M. (2018). Can intersubjectivity and compassion alter social and political divisiveness? Cultivating Community Creative Arts Therapy Conference, Marylhurst University, Portland, OR
Andrus, M. (2018). Bearing Witness Film & Panel Discussion, Cultivating Community Creative Arts Therapy Conference, Marylhurst University, Portland, OR
Andrus, M. (2017). Transdisciplinary approach; exploring social cultural identities, Cascadia Training, Oregon City, OR.
Andrus, M. (2017). “Bearing witness film”. American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference, AATA film festival, Albuquerque, NM.
Andrus, M. (2017). Licensure and advocacy; lessons from the frontlines, paper presentation, American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
Andrus, M. (2016). Doctoral dissertation presentation, Marylhurst University, Portland, OR.
Andrus, M. (2015). Best Practices in treating trauma, Oregon Creative Arts Therapy Annual Conference, Portland, OR.
Andrus, M. (2015). Best Practices in treating trauma, Mount Mary Symposium, Milwaukee WI.
Andrus, M. (2014). Assuaging Trauma: Case Study with client co-presenting, Mount Mary Symposium, Milwaukee WI.
Andrus, M. (2013). Assuaging Trauma, Illinois Art Therapy Annual Conference, Chicago IL.
Andrus, M. (2013). “Response art: exploring the client-therapist relationship”, CEU Training, Live Oak, Chicago, IL.
Andrus, M. (2013). “Don and his birds”, American Art Therapy Association Conference, AATA Film Festival- Seattle, WA.
Academic Credentials
Doctor of Art Therapy (DAT), Mount Mary University
MA, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago