Craig Balfany, ATR-BC, LPC

Craig is the Art Therapy Program Chair at the Adler Graduate School. He is very involved in educating, supervising and promoting the profession of Art Therapy. Craig has 20 years of clinical art therapy practice working with children and adolescents in mental health and chemical health programs, as well as adults with traumatic brain injuries and congenital disabilities.

Tell us about your background.
As an artist, I am a ceramicist, sculptor, mask maker, photographer, and gardener. My graduate studies at the Pratt Institute in art therapy and creativity development provided a strong foundation for working in clinical mental health care. I spent 20 years in child and adolescent behavioral health, during which I introduced and integrated art therapy into a local health care system. 

What inspired you to join the art therapy profession?
I came across a brochure describing how art therapy brings together visual arts and psychology in a helping profession. I knew immediately that this is what I wanted as a career, and I still feel the same way more than 30 years later. Being able to engage the whole brain through active creating, pondering aesthetics, and exploring symbols and metaphors to create awareness and movement is utterly fascinating!

What are you most passionate about as an art therapist and educator?
I see the art therapy studio as a safe and sacred space. Sharing that space and engaging with others in the creative process of art making and reflection provides me with a high degree of fulfillment. It is an honor to guide, support, and witness my students’ transformations into art therapists and mental health counselors.

What is so special about the culture at AGS?
The culture at Adler Graduate School is one of encouragement and collaboration, and it values creativity. There is an appreciation of individual and collective contributions by students, alumni, staff, and faculty that reflects social interest and supports movement towards a healthier community.