Institute for Therapy through the Arts
When words alone are not enough, the arts can often heal.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Individual and Family Therapy
ITA offers the following forms of Creative Arts Therapy at our Evanston, downtown Chicago, and Highland Park locations:
Music Therapy
Drama Therapy
Art Therapy
Dance / Movement Therapy
Individual Therapy Sessions
These sessions are designed to identify and foster personal strengths thereby decreasing anxiety and increasing feelings of self-worth. The creative arts are used as a vehicle for expression and creativity where internal thoughts and feelings can be safely expressed and contained.
Family Therapy Sessions
ITA offers creative arts therapy for couples and families. ITA therapists use the arts to help family members connect with each other and develop new ways to communicate. Families and couples are provided with opportunities to create projects collaboratively, renewing their relationships with each other and practicing new techniques designed to strengthen the family unit.
Therapy Groups
Therapy Groups
ITA’s dynamic and engaging therapy groups use the arts to create an environment where peers are working collaboratively. Therapists help clients learn to accept the ideas of others and compromise, while creative arts therapy provides unique opportunities for clients to create and perform together through interactive music-making, story-creation, visual art projects and movement. Experienced and caring therapists promote dialogue between group members and address social skill development, facilitating opportunities to enhance empathy, initiation and cooperative play. Groups are formed continuously in order to meet the ever-changing needs of clients. ITA therapists determine if group placement is appropriate after the intake evaluation is conducted.
CBT/DBT Skills Training Art Therapy Groups
For Adolescents and Adults
The Institute for Therapy through the Arts is offering CBT/DBT art therapy groups for adolescents and adults on Monday evenings. This 8-part series will introduce a new skill each week and an art experience incorporating that new skill. CBT/DBT (Cognitive/Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) Skills are beneficial in helping you manage strong emotions, develop healthy coping strategies and enhance interpersonal relationships. Art therapy directives offer a hands-on, process-oriented learning experience to develop strategies for emotional and behavioral growth and regulation.
Kids Can Be Heroes
Comic Art and Costume Play for Pre-Teen Boys
Be your favorite character while exploring self-identity, building self-esteem and developing social skills through the world of comic books, superheroes, and fantasy literature. Ideal for 10-13 year old males with mild to moderate emotional or social difficulties.
BEATS
Building Expression with Autism through Song
Increase attention and task-oriented behavior necessary for social and school environments through movement to music, instrument play, and singing. Ideal for children ages 3-5 with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Game On
Gameplay for Young Adults with Intellectual and Cognitive Disabilities
Discover the power of play. Have fun while using games as teaching aids to learn social and communication skills, team-building, and accommodation, collaboration, and flexibility practices.
TEAM
Therapeutic Expression in Adults through Music
Build connection with a close group of peers using your favorite music. Ideal for young adults ages with social communication difficulties and moderate intellectual disabilities. Group in inclusive of all levels of physical abilities.
Community and School Programs
Community Programs
The Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA), provides services to community-based organizations including hospitals, assisted living centers, residential communities, adult day vocational and workshop programs for individuals with neuro-developmental disorders, child welfare agencies, and healthcare and wellness facilities throughout the Chicagoland area. Services include:
• Art Therapy
• Dance/Movement Therapy
• Drama Therapy
• Music Therapy
ITA provides individual and group therapy sessions, which can range from 45-90 minutes in length. Services include a formal assessment, goal development, data collection and progress reports. ITA therapists are also available to co-treat with other professionals who work in community settings, including social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, counselors, psychologists, and physicians.
Community Programs in the creative arts therapies can address issues relating to:
• Cognitive Impairment and developmental delays
• Aging complications
• Acute and chronic mental illness
• Physical limitations
• Trauma
• Memory
• Grief and loss
• Brain injury
• Neurological disorders
• Communication disorders
• Self-identity and self-esteem
• Substance abuse
• Anxiety and Depression
• Learning Disabilities
• Sensory Processing Disorders
• Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
ITA tailors their community programming to meet the needs of each facility and aims to provide a creative service in support of each partner’s mission.
Partnership begins with a discussion between the facility and ITA management, where an assessment of need is conducted and information on how one or more of the creative arts therapies might address these identified needs is provided. Treatment goals are then developed in consultation with the facility administration, staff, and/or clientele. Programming is implemented in the form of a treatment plan, placing emphasis on the process involved in reaching the goal, rather than focusing on the product of therapy. Goals are reevaluated on a regular basis, and treatment data is summarized and presented to the facility. Often organizations are able to use this information when seeking funding to underwrite services.
School Programs
The Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA) provides a wide range of services in educational settings, all of which can be tailored to meet your school’s individual needs. Services include:
• Music Therapy
• Drama Therapy
• Dance Movement Therapy
• Art Therapy
ITA provides individual and group therapy sessions, which range from 30-60 minutes in length. ITA provides services to self-contained special education and mainstream classrooms and serves students with a range of learning needs. ITA services include a formal assessment, goal development, data collection and progress reports. ITA will also conduct evaluations to assess for including music therapy on a student’s Individualized Education Plan. In such cases, ITA therapists will attend IEP meetings and prepare the necessary reports. ITA believes in a collaborative approach, and will work with your school district to come up with a treatment model that best meets your expectations, needs, and goals. ITA therapists are also available to co-treat with other professionals who work in educational settings, including social workers, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists.
ITA is proud to have developed and published a systematic assessment, goal writing, and progress reporting process for music therapy in school settings, specifically for children with developmental delays.
ITA’s therapists are experienced delivering high-quality creative art therapy services to a wide variety of educational settings, including autism programs, multi-needs classrooms, internalizing behavior classrooms, and complex learning disability classrooms.
ITA serves children in educational settings from pre-school to high school in both public and private schools, therapeutic day schools and alternative high schools. For students with Developmental Disabilities, ITA has developed a program targeting social skill development using its own manual, the MTSSA (Music Therapy Social Skill Assessment) which can be implemented in group settings. ITA therapists are experienced writing IEP goals based on the results of this assessment and the Illinois State Social and Emotional Learning Standards. Goal areas for treatment can focus on social awareness and interaction, emotional expression, receptive/expressive language, and sensory regulation. ITA believes in a collaborative approach and will work with your school district to come up with a treatment model to best meet the expectations, needs, and goals for each student.
Where we work
External reviews

How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Paper surveys, Case management notes,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Institute for Therapy through the Arts
Board of directorsas of 9/14/2021
Ms. Ginny Trainor
Tracy Canter
Dan Gallas
Judy Holstein
Marilyn "Toddy" Richman
Jill Calian
Christian Farr
Michelle Friedman
Paras Pahade
Elizabeth Richman
Eric Robb
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as: