Laura Zeisler ATR-BC, LISW-CP, is a Board Certified Art Therapist with over 25 years of clinical mental health experience, an international presenter in the field of art therapy, and has been nominated for a teaching excellence award. Professor Zeisler has earned a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Portland State University, Portland, OR. Her clinical practice includes a variety of settings, including hospital trauma and oncology units, hospice, schools, residential treatment centers, art museums, and private practice.

She enjoys traveling, being in nature, and spending time with her family.

Scholarly & Research Activity

Her clinical research includes the somatization of trauma in children and adolescents and inquiries about multicultural narratives through Intersectionality and Mindfulness. As an Artist-as-Therapist, she uses photography to create story walls, examining end-of-life dynamics. Additional projects included collaborating with Spartanburg Housing and Eden Terrace; 54 photographers aged 5-88 participated and reduced social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The images culminated in an exhibition of 700 photographs at the Artists’ Guild Gallery of Spartanburg. She is the recipient of a Chapman Cultural Center’s Community Engagement Grant.

Degrees

  • MSW - Portland State University
  • MA - Art Institute of Chicago