Jane Ferris Richardson

Jane Ferris Richardson
Professional Title:  Assistant Professor of Art Therapy
Areas of Academic Focus and Expertise:  
Art Therapy, Child Psychology
Area of Work and Concentration at Lesley:  
Psychology and Applied Therapies
Representative List of Recent Courses Taught:  
Principles of Art Therapy; Studio Based Art Therapy; Art, Healing and Community in South Africa
Education:  BA, Bennington College; MSEd,Bank Street College of Education; MEd, Lesley College; EdD, Boston University
Representative List of Recent Publications / Exhibitions:  

• “The World of the Sandtray and the Child on the Autism Spectrum” in Rubin and Gallo-Lopez (Eds) Play Based Interventions With Children and Adolescents on the Autism Spectrumhttp://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415890755/
• “Inkdance: Body, Mind and Chinese Medicine as Sources for Art Therapy”in Kalmanowitz et al (Eds) To the Bone Or Wrapped in Silk: Art Therapy in Asia. http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781849052108/contents/

Fun Facts:  
Creating my own work is an important part of my art therapy practice and of my life.  And, I just became certified in Autism Movement Therapy, going back to my early experience in dance and having a lot of fun!

For an article reflecting on my approach to teaching and learning in art therapy, with student contributions, click here.

For a look at my private practice of art therapy, click here: http://www.transformative.info.

Jane Ferris Richardson is an art therapist and art therapy educator teaching in the undergraduate program at Lesley University. She holds an EdD in Humanistic Education and Human Services from Boston University, where she held a fellowship as Managing Editor of the Journal of Education. She also has Master's degrees from Lesley in Art Therapy, and from Bank Street College of Education in Early Childhood Education. Jane has received grants to pursue her artwork and organize exhibitions, and for travel and study abroad. Most recently she visited Reggio Emilia, Italy, to explore connections between the Reggio Emilia approach to early education and art therapy for children with special needs.

Her private practice of art therapy specializes in young children and children with special needs, and support to their families and schools. She exhibits her paintings and collages regularly. Her research interests include how art and art therapy support children on the autism spectrum, the connections between art and play therapy, and the global context of art therapy practice. She has presented her work at international conferences in the US, Japan and (via her film on expressive therapies with children) in China.