Marygrace Berberian has committed her 30-year career to empowering families with the social and emotional skills to manage this ever-changing world. Beginning her career as an art educator, Marygrace has worked with young people across schools, alternative programs, social agencies, psychiatric care, and shelters — and in her private practice, she extends that work to adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, and personal growth. Marygrace is a licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, Board-Certified, Registered Art Therapist, and trained as a Sandplay Practitioner. She is well-trained in Trauma Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems, crisis recovery, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. She is currently the Director and Clinical Assistant Professor for the Graduate Art Therapy Program at New York University. Marygrace regularly trains New York City Department of Education teachers to implement creative mental health interventions in the classroom.

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She has spearheaded many community-wide and global crisis recovery efforts. Marygrace was awarded the Rawley Silver Research Award (2020) and the President’s Choice Award (2022) by the American Art Therapy Association. She is on the Editorial Boards of the International Journal of Art Therapy, the Canadian Journal of Art Therapy, and the Executive Board of the American Art Therapy Association. She has authored several chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and a co-edited book, Art Therapy Practices for Resilient Youth: A Strengths-Based Approach to At-Promise Children and Adolescents, published in January 2020.

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Her greatest reward is watching people of all ages discover their own resilience.

Lili Chasen is a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist with specialized training in drama therapy. Lili creates safe and nonjudgmental spaces where clients can engage in a loving and exciting exploration of who they are. She harnesses the transformative power of creative arts, such as art, movement, and drama, to uncover and address underlying struggles. She believes that through this dynamic, integrative process, clients can tap into their innate creativity and resilience. Her therapeutic approach integrates Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindful Self-Compassion Therapy with drama therapy techniques. Lili is trained in therapeutic theater and storytelling techniques, taking an eclectic approach to trauma processing that allows clients to articulate and process their emotions in new ways. She practices trauma-informed care and makes sure to develop comforting, trusting relationships with each of her clients so that deep healing can take place.

Erika has worked extensively with young people managing intense emotional dysregulation. Her experience in psychiatric facilities has enabled strong skill building for those in distress. She has also helped children in school settings manage symptoms of chronic distress and adversity.Her work centers on creating safety and autonomy through creative expression. Erika is especially adept at understandingtrauma's relationship to the body and mind. With training in somatic processing and cognitive behavioral therapy interventions, Erika'sapproach is person-centered, intuitive, and grounded in the belief that creativity builds resilience. Erika engages families in treatment, understanding how compassionate and holistic care can better equip a young person's treatment journey. She is the proud mother of two children.

Marianne Franzese is a psychotherapist, writer, and educator whose work bridges creativity, healing, and human connection. Drawing from Indigenous wisdom traditions alongside Western psychological, and spiritual perspectives, she creates therapeutic and educational spaces that honor both ancient ways of knowing and contemporary clinical practice.

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With more than three decades of experience, Marianne is a lifelong advocate for neurodiversity, inclusion, and restorative practices. Marianne was the co-founder of Kid Esteem Inc. and former co-founder and CEO of Spark Elementary, initiatives dedicated to fostering inspired development through creativity, emotional intelligence, mindfulness and meaningful community.

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Marianne’s work is informed by extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Attachment EMDR. Marianne also works as a Creative Arts Therapist at Northwell Health, facilitating trauma informed groups for individuals in psychiatric and substance use recovery settings. As a certified Grief Specialist, Marianne supports individuals navigating grief, trauma, recovery, and transformation. She holds dual master’s degrees from New York University in Drama Therapy and English Education. Marianne is the author of The Sacred Weave of Mothering and has been featured on a variety of podcasts and educational forums. Above all, Marianne’s greatest teachers have been the lived experiences of motherhood and community. As the mother of four children, she continues to be inspired by the transformative possibilities of connection, compassion and creative living.

Anita is a licensed Creative Arts Therapist and Board-Certified, Registered Art Therapist. Prior to becoming a therapist, Anita worked as an elementary school teacher in various private, public, charter, and specialized educational settings. She has worked with children, adolescents, and their families for the past decade learning how best to support their social and emotional needs as they navigate life’s different stages.

Anita is committed to providing holistic, evidence-based care. She blends her Art Therapy clinical skill set with Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy training and leans on psychoanalytic theory and a trauma-informed approach when working with children and adolescents. Anita has worked with diverse populations and has extensive experience providing support for neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ individuals. Anita has witnessed firsthand the ways in which the developmental landscape has changed post Covid, and she works closely with educators and parents on how to meet our young people where they are today. Anita specializes in helping children and adolescents, as well as their families, feel empowered to embark on a journey of self-discovery and meaning-making to cultivate the tools necessary to navigate life with self-acceptance and a sense of agency.  

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Anita provides individual and group art therapy and psychotherapy services at a high school and consults for a metropolitan psychiatric facility. She has also earned advanced certification in mindfulness instruction. She is currently co-authoring a chapter specific to art therapy and adolescents for a comprehensive art therapy text.