This position is currently vacant.

Hannah Phillips Hale is a 2014 graduate of The George Washington University Art Therapy program, and attended Hollins University for undergrad, double majoring in Studio Art and Psychology. She is located in Roanoke, Virginia and has run her private practice, Creating Compassion LLC, since 2022. Hannah is a Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and Virginia Board of Counseling Approved Clinical Supervisor (LPC-S). Having over 20 years experience in the mental health field, and spending many of those years focusing on child development, infant mental health, and the dynamics of family interactions, through a home visiting program, Hannah has primarily worked with individuals who face challenges related to poverty and trauma. She has served people of various ages and backgrounds (pregnant mothers and their unborn children, children from birth on and their caretakers, adolescents, teenagers, parents, older individuals), along with individuals, families and couples in a variety of settings (in-home, in office/outpatient, schools, community programs, museum setting, and more). Hannah has served in a supervisory role during most of her professional life, while continuing to provide direct client care. Additionally, Hannah has gained experience in providing therapeutic art services and developing associated curricula at her community's primary art museum, through a 3 year grant that recently ended. As a result, museotherapy has become an increased interest for Hannah and she hopes to expand opportunities for community enrichment through the arts.

This position is currently vacant

Dana holds a masters from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Her fine arts background in sculpture and fiber arts helps to inform her work within the expressive nature of art as a physical, visceral, and tactile experience. She currently works as a freelance art therapist working in residential and corporate settings. She has experience working in schools, foster care systems, community programs, and in inpatient psychiatry settings treating child/adult/geriatric patients with acute psychosis, substance use disorders, auditory/visual hallucinations, developmental disabilities, trauma, and depression. Dana has been a recurring clinical panelist at the RealAbilities Film festival and presenter at the Water & Stone art therapy conference. She also held an executive position on the New York Art Therapy Association’s board as the Social Media/ Webmaster for a two year term. Dana currently serves as Treasurer of VATA. She was selected in July 2020 to take over responsibilities from the past treasurer and was elected for the 2021-2023 term, bringing her experience and skills from her work with the  New York chapter.

Sarah Deaver, PhD, ATR-BC, HLM has been an art therapist for over 40 years, working in various inpatient, residential, alternative school, outpatient, and academic settings. She was a faculty member at the EVMS Graduate Art Therapy and Counseling Program for 37 years, where she was professor and research director. With Donna Betts, PhD, ATR-BC, she co-authored the textbook Art Therapy Research: A Practical Guide (Routledge, 2019). Sarah has volunteered for many years for AATA in various capacities such as editorial review board
member of the journal, chair of the Research Committee, and President from 2013-2015. Currently she serves on the Past Presidents Advisory Council, the Honors Working Group, and the Research Committee.

Emilie Bradley is a Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) working in the Roanoke area. Emilie graduated from EVMS in 2020 and returned home to the Roanoke area shortly after. She began her work in community mental health and substance use treatment. During that time, Emilie was able to work in a range of settings, including the local jails, schools and alongside Drug Court and Harm Reduction teams. In June of 2023, Emilie began working part time in an outpatient private practice setting. She transitioned into full time private practice in late 2024 where she now works with various types of clients, treatment goals, and diagnosis. Emilie has served the last year on the Membership Committee for VATA and is looking forward to the opportunity to continue growing in the role of Membership Director.

Lisa is a business owner, art therapist, & artist with a passion for the field of art therapy. Lisa values creativity in mental health and considers creativity to be an innate part of the human experience. She switched careers from working in neuroscience research doing bench work and wearing an actual lab coat to pursuing art therapy in 2017, graduating with her masters from EVMS (now ODU) in 2019. She worked at a group practice that provided fully-adherent Dialectical Behavior Therapy until 2023, and then started her own group practice, Coastal Art Therapy Services, in 2024.

Throughout her career, Lisa has enjoyed volunteering to advocate for the art therapy profession. While at EVMS/ODU she helped participate in and organize art therapy student involvement with the Norfolk Emergency Shelter Team (NEST). Following the May 31st 2019 shooting at the VB Municipal Center, Lisa co-facilitated Healing VB: An Expressive Arts Project. Since 2023, Lisa has also volunteered for the Art Therapy Credentials Board and VATA's social media committee. She is most interested in the lived human experience and is motivated to improve VATA’s reach and overall engagement with the art therapy community in Virginia through various user interfaces via the website and social media apps.