As 2012 President of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, I was given funds and a mission to create a meaningful project. Community Outreach Committee Chair Terry Marks-Tarlow decided to integrate our passion for psychology, creativity and arts — Mirrors of the Mind was born. Based on our belief that creativity is an essential aspect of our humanity that contributes to our professional and personal development, this annual event showcases clinician and student created multimedia arts, poetry and theater. Each piece of art is accompanied by an artist narrative describing its psychological significance and personal meaning. Taken together, this unique collection of art illustrates and illuminates the power of creativity and the arts in the lives of clinicians. The Mirrors of the Mind project earned national recognition in a 2014 Monitor on Psychology issue and has thrived as a unique celebration of psychology, creativity, culture and community. At the 2018 APA convention, selected artwork from one of three published exhibition booksopens in new window was shown at the Social Hour following the Creative Arts Town Hall presentations.
We recently completed year seven of the juried exhibition, which included nearly 90 visual artists. We are convinced the event touches some nerve in the community because art speaks a universal language shared by all. We recently expanded our arts offering by presenting Theater of the Mind, an exciting evening of theater, music and dance — all carefully curated with an eye towards psychological healing and growth in an intimate theater setting. This was a creative collaboration with Ariel Cohen, chair of the Community Outreach Committee of the San Fernando Valley chapter of California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and APA member Paula Thomson of California State University Northridge, a talented professor, psychologist and choreographer of dance which evocatively explore the inner worlds of experience in response to trauma, loss and love.
The arts provide a wonderful platform to engage community and expand awareness of mental health and our profession. For more information about Mirrors of the Mind, please contact Pamela McCrory.