Institute for Therapy through the Arts

07/21/2025

✈️ Check out this awesome opportunity from The Arc of Illinois!

Wings for All is coming to O’Hare on August 16 — helping individuals with autism and other disabilities practice the airport experience in a stress-free, inclusive setting.

Learn more about participating or volunteering below!

✈️ 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡: 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗼!
We’re thrilled to announce that The Arc’s Wings for All is coming to O’Hare International Airport!
📍O'Hare Airport, United
🗓️ 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟲, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱
🕘 𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲
📲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://bit.ly/4kOdyLt
For more information about 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹: http://www.thearc.org/wings
Interested in volunteering? 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://bit.ly/44VbzyO

💙 Wings for All helps individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities—and their families—practice every step of air travel, from check-in to security to boarding a real (stationary) plane.

07/21/2025

Big news from ITA! We're honored to be featured in Crain's Chicago Business!

Thanks to the generous support from Endeavor Health's community investment fund, ITA is working toward becoming a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, allowing us to accept Medicaid and expand access to Creative Arts Therapies across our community starting in Fall 2025.

Thank you to Crain's for helping share this important story, and to Endeavor for believing in the healing power of the arts.

Read the full story here: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/health-pulse/endeavor-backed-ita-eyes-medicaid-music-therapy-expansion

Or on our website: https://itachicago.org/ita-in-the-news-as-illinois-opens-medicaid-funding-for-music-therapy-endeavor-backed-arts-group-eyes-expansion/

07/17/2025

🎶 In Memory of Connie Francis 🎶

Today we join countless fans around the world in honoring the life and legacy of Connie Francis — a groundbreaking artist whose music became a source of comfort, joy, and connection across generations.

With timeless hits like “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You,” “Mama,” “Pretty Little Baby,” “Stupid Cupid,” and “Many Tears Ago,” Connie’s voice captured the full range of human emotion — from heartache to hope, from youthful longing to deep familial love. Her ability to connect so intimately through song made her one of the most beloved vocalists of her time.

Even decades later, her music continues to resonate, reminding us of the enduring power of melody to stir memory, spark emotion, and bring people together.

🕊️ Thank you, Connie, for the music — and for the memories that live on through every note.

She sold more than 100 million records in her prime and had a viral TikTok moment near the end of her life.

07/16/2025

🎉 SAVE THE DATE!

Join us for ITA’s first-ever Block Party for the Arts — a FREE community celebration of creativity, connection, and the power of the arts in Evanston!

🗓 Saturday, August 2
🕚 11 AM – 2 PM
📍 1300 block of Sherman Ave. (outside ITA)

Enjoy live performances, interactive art experiences, music, movement, and more — all from your favorite local arts organizations!

Follow us for updates and get ready to make art, make memories, and make it a day to remember. 🎭 🎶 🖌️

07/15/2025

🎨 🧠 Help Us Improve Mental Health Access! 🧠 🎭

The Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA) is becoming a Certified Behavioral Health Clinic and launching a Medicaid-covered program this Fall 2025 — and we need YOUR input to make sure these services are accessible to those who need them most.

We’re conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to better understand the barriers and opportunities around accessing mental health and Creative Arts Therapy services in our community.

📋 The survey takes just 10–15 minutes
🔒 Responses are confidential
🎯 Results will directly inform our services and Medicaid strategy

🔗 bit.ly/ITACHNA

Whether you have Medicaid, know someone who does, or care about equitable access to mental health care — your voice matters. 🎶

07/10/2025

HUGE thanks to Northwestern Develop + Innovate for Social Change (DISC) for helping ITA reimagine how we manage therapy supplies!⁠
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This fall, we’re launching a brand new therapy supply inventory site and system — all thanks to the brilliant work of the DISC team, led by Project Manager Andrew Yuan. From January to May, six NU computer programming majors collaborated with our team to design an efficient and intuitive system to better serve our therapists and clients.⁠
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With this system, ITA will be able to cut down the time it takes to order, store, and access creative media — making it even easier to design interventions that center client choice and therapeutic goals.⁠
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Special shoutout to ITA’s Jeffrey Wolfe and Kate Buckley for attending the DISC Spring Showcase on June 2 to celebrate this exciting milestone with the Evanston community!⁠
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Thank you, — we’re so grateful for your innovation, collaboration, and support of our mission.

07/04/2025

This Independence Day, we honor the freedom to express, create, and connect.

In observance of the holiday, ITA will be closed today, Friday, July 4. We wish our clients, families, partners, and supporters a safe, reflective, and restorative holiday.

07/01/2025

🎉 What a night to remember! 🎉

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Sunday for ITA’s Healing Arts Celebration — an evening filled with connection, creativity, and reflection as we honored 50 years of healing through the arts.

We are endlessly grateful to our incredible therapists and clients who shared their powerful performances and stories. Your courage and creativity are the soul of ITA, and we were honored to witness your journeys.

A heartfelt congratulations to Judy Holstein, recipient of the 2025 Marilyn "Toddy" Richman Legacy Award, for her unwavering support of ITA and leadership in the field.

Huge thanks to Christian Farr of NBC Chicago for serving as our emcee and bringing warmth and energy to the celebration.

We also want to thank:
🏛️ Evanston Art Center for generously donating the space
🧡 The ITA staff who volunteered their time to make the event run smoothly
👏 Our sponsors, board members, and community for their continued support

This milestone celebration reminded us just how powerful Creative Arts Therapy can be — and how vital your support is in helping us continue this work.

If you’d like to help build the next 50 years of healing, please consider making a gift today: https://bit.ly/DonateITA

06/21/2025

🎶 Happy World Music Day

At ITA, we celebrate music not just for how it sounds — but for what it makes possible.

Through Music Therapy, our credentialed therapists use rhythm, melody, and connection to help individuals express emotions, process experiences, and strengthen relationships. Whether it's unlocking a memory, supporting communication, or encouraging emotional expression, music becomes a meaningful tool for growth and transformation.

Today and every day, we honor the role music plays in healing, growth, and human connection.

06/19/2025

Today, on Juneteenth, we honor the strength, resistance, and resilience of Black communities—past, present, and future.

At the Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA), we recognize that Creative Arts Therapies can be powerful tools for healing and self-expression, especially in the face of generational trauma and systemic injustice. As we celebrate freedom and remember the long journey toward justice, we also recommit ourselves to creating inclusive, equitable spaces where every voice is seen, heard, and valued.

🖤❤️💚

06/18/2025

“I never — even in my career as a DJ — thought of music for my own healing, until I really needed it.”

In this NPR article, cancer survivor Cynthia Cherish Malaran shares how working with a music therapist helped her process trauma, regain confidence, and reconnect with joy after treatment. The sessions provided not just emotional release, but a space to be seen, heard, and understood.

At ITA, Music Therapy is one of the many Creative Arts Therapies we provide to help individuals of all ages improve their cognitive, physical, and emotional well-being. Whether recovering from illness, navigating grief, or building new coping strategies, our credentialed therapists use evidence-based approaches to support healing through music.

📖 Read the full article: https://www.npr.org/2025/06/16/nx-s1-5414500/music-therapy-cancer-patient-survivor

🎶 Learn more about our Music Therapy services: https://itachicago.org/music-therapy/

A new study shows that music therapy is as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy at helping cancer patients and survivors heal emotionally.

06/04/2025

✨ We're Growing! Join ITA as a Creative Arts Therapist! ✨

The Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA) is excited to announce an opening for one (1) full-time credentialed Art, Dance/Movement, Drama, or Music Therapist to support our expanding partnership with Chicago Public Schools through the Summer ESY program.

This new position reflects the continued growth and impact of our school-based services!

🗓️ Start Date: Late June 2025
📍 Location: Multiple CPS sites across Chicago
🚗 Requirement: Must have access to a personal vehicle (public transit will not meet travel needs)
💼 Salary: $48,000–$55,000, based on experience
✅ Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance; 401K; life insurance; paid time off

The therapist will provide developmentally appropriate, evidence-based services in both group and individual settings while collaborating with school staff, caregivers, and ITA supervisors.

Be part of a growing team using the power of the arts to support student success!

🔗 Learn more and apply: itachicago.org/careers