What can a puppet do to unlock buried feelings? A lot, according to Matthew Bernier, a nationally known art therapist who uses puppets when discussing child development and the role of therapeutic puppetry.
Bernier will be the featured speaker at Emporia State’s 44th Annual Art Therapy Discover Day on Saturday, March 10.
He is an associate professor in the school of health professions and an associate professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He has been a full-time faculty member in the Graduate Art Therapy & Counseling Program since 1990.
Discovery Day allows people wanting to learn more about art therapy to explore a variety of topics, featuring presentations, a question and answer session with Emporia State art therapy faculty, and hands-on workshops. Emporia State was one of the first universities to offer a graduate degree in art therapy when the area was developed nearly 45 years ago.
Registration for Discovery Day begins at 8 a.m. in the Memorial Union. Brenier will speak at 9 a.m. Registration for individuals is $150, $60 for students.
More information is at www.emporia.edu/teach/ce/art-therapy/.