Holly Wherry is an art therapist who recently developed art therapy programs at several locations in Chennai, India. She has worked with children and adults in schools, prisons, trauma centers, psychiatric wards, and hospitals. She specializes in trauma recovery with children, and she was a classroom teacher for three years in New York City before becoming an art therapist. Holly provided art therapy for several years to thousands of school children in New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. She has a Masters degree in art therapy and another in the field of education, is a licensed counselor, and a registered art therapist. Holly has completed a bike ride across the United States, as well as several half marathons and one full marathon. Robert Caswell is an art therapist who specializes in working with adults with mental illness. His most recent employment was at an inpatient psychiatric hospital for older adults with acute mental illnesses such as dementia, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. He also has experience teaching art to talented children in the classroom. Robert has a Masters degree in art therapy and is a licensed counselor and a registered art therapist. As for his physical qualifications, Robert has biked along with Holly during her marathon and half marathons.

Art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. For more on art therapy, see the website of the American Art Therapy Association at www.arttherapy.org

Art Therapy Pedalers will not be providing art therapy services to people we meet on the ride, but will instead be offering creative art experiences. We hope to raise awareness of the field of art therapy, but we are not affiliated with or sponsored by any specific organization.