Dr. Laury Rappaport
Associate Professor, Art Therapy Psychology
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Office location: | Gavin #1 |
| Office hours: | Monday and Thursday, 12:30 - 2 p.m. or by appointment | |
| Phone number: | (650) 508-3674 | |
| Email: | lrappaport@ndnu.edu | |
| Website: | www.focusingarts.com | |
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Education History
- Ph.D. in Psychology and Spirituality, 1987. Union Institute and University, Cincinnati, OH.
- M/Ed. in Art/Expressive Therapy, 1979. Lesley College, Cambridge, MA.
Honor’s Thesis: Growth and Expression in an Art Therapy Group: A Group Developmental Approach. - B. A. in Art Therapy, cum laude,1975. State University of New York at Buffalo.
Post-Doctoral Training
- Cambridge Couples and Family Therapy Center, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry. Cambridge City Hospital, Cambridge MA. 1992-1994.
Professional Credentials and Honors
- Licensed Marital and Family Therapist, MA, 1992. License #678.
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor, MA, 1992. License #368.
- Board Certified Art Therapist (A.T.R.-BC), November 1999
- Registered Art Therapist (A.T.R.), American Association of Art Therapy, since 1980.
- Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT), International Expressive Arts Therapy Association
- Certifying Focusing Coordinator and Focusing-Oriented Therapist (FOT).
Recognitions
- Dorothy Stang Scholar, NDNU, Spring 2007-Present
- Recipient of Community Based Learning Grant; NDNU; Spring 2007
- Recipient of Community Based Research Grant, NDNU; Fall 2009
Professional Affiliations
- American Association of Art Therapy, International membership Committee
- Editorial Board, The Journal for Arts and Healthcare
- Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association
- Northern California Art Therapy Association
- California Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
- The Focusing Institute, Conflict Resolution Committee
- The Moon Balloon, Board Member
- Institutional Review Board, Notre Dame de Namur University
- Mission Committee, Notre Dame de Namur University
- Institute of Body, Mind, and Spirituality, Lesley University; Steering Committee, Board Member 2003-Present
- International Association of Expressive Therapies; Co-Chair of International Committee, 1998-99 Co
- Founder, Arlington Helping Professionals Alliance, 2001
Professional Presentations
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November 2010: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy: A Mindfulness Based Approach
Master Supervision Group: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy
Awareness: Art Therapy in the Digital World Panel
American Association of Art Therapy Conference -
October 2010: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy with Trauma
June 2010: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy
U.S. Association of Body Psychotherapy, Pleasant Hill, CA
Kansai University, Osaka, Japan
Taisho University, Tokyo, Japan
Gestalt Focusing Association, Kagoshima, JapanFocusing-Oriented Expressive Arts Therapy
Person-Centered Expressive Arts Institute, Tokyo, JapanUniversity of Hong Kong, Center on Behavioral Health
Lecture on Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy; Level I FOAT Training -
February 2010: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy: Reducing Stress and Cultivating Resilience
Fred Finch Youth Center, Oakland, CA -
January 2010: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy
Northern California Art Therapy Association -
August 2009: Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts and Meditation
International Expressive Arts Association Conference:
Peace-ing Our World Together
Boston, MA -
May 2009: Research using Clearing a Space, Grindler Body Attitudes Scale:
Quantitative/ Qualitative Findings with Women with Breast Cancer
International Focusing Conference, Awaji Island, Japan -
May 2009: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy
International Focusing Conference, Awaji Island, Japan -
May 2009: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy
Taisho University, Tokyo, Japan -
February 2009: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy Audio Interview, The Focusing Institute.
www. focusing.org -
November 2008: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy. Full-day Pre-Confererence Institute.
American Association of Art Therapy Conference, Cleveland, OH -
May 2008: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy: Beyond Duality
The Focusing Institute International Conference, Montreal, Canada -
November 2007: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy.
Workshop Panel, Transformational Learning in Professional Practice
American Association of Art Therapy Conference, Albuquerque, NM -
May 2006: Love and Forgiveness Conference
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA -
November 2005: Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy. Full-day Pre-Conference Institute.
American Association of Art Therapy Conference, Atlanta, GA -
May 2005: Focusing and Art Therapy: Bridging Inner and Outer Expressions of Creativity
The Focusing Institute International Conference, Toronto, CA. -
May 2004: Infusing Creativity into Your Career: Focusing, Imagination, and the Arts
Liberating Creativity: Moving to the Next Stage of Your Personal and Professional Life Conference
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA. February 2003: Focusing for Change, The Arlington Center, Arlington, MA
April 2002: Cultivating Resilience and Wellness through Focusing, Guided Imagery and Intermodal Expressive Therapy
Lesley University: Mind, Body, Spirituality Conference-
September 2001: Focusing: Listening to the Deeper Self
Kripalu Institute, Lenox, MA. -
April 2001: Demystifying Stress Management
Working Women’s Conference, Mix 98.5
Braintree, MA - December 2000: Discovery Health Channel (Cable TV)
Expressive Arts Therapy segment on Depression program
(The above is just a selection)
Publications
- (2010). “Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy: Working with Trauma” in The Journal for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy.
- (2010). Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy: A Mindfulness Based Approach, Fusion E-Zine, Vol. 3
- (2009). Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy: Accessing the Body’s Wisdom and Creative Intelligence, Jessica Kingsley, 2009. (also published in Japanese by Sheisin Shobo Publishers).
- (2009).“Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy” in The Folio: Journal for Focusing and Experiential Therapy, Vol. 21, (1), 139-155.
- (2009). Guest Editor, The Folio: Journal for Focusing and Experiential Therapy, Vol. 21, (1), 139-155.
- (2006). “Focusing and Expressive Arts Therapy as a Complementary Treatment for Women with Breast Cancer,” co-authored with Klagsbrun, Rappaport, Marcow-Speiser, Byers, Post, Stepakoff, and Karman, to be published in Journal of Creativity and Mental Health, 2006.
- (1998). “Focusing and Art Therapy: Tools for Healing from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” in The Folio: Journal for Focusing and Experiential Therapy.
- (1992). “Focusing, Art, and Creative Movement: A Method for Stress Management.” Focusing Connection.
- (1988). “Focusing and Art Therapy,” in the Focusing Connection.
- (1985). “Focusing and Body-Work” in the Focusing Connection. Co-authored with Neil Friedman.
- (1980). “Integrating Expressive Therapies Into A Day Treatment Setting,” in Proceedings of American Association of Partial-Hospitalization, 1980. Co-authored with Shelley Cushner.
- “A Group Developmental Approach To Art Therapy,” unpublished manuscript.

