Michelle Dean

Biography

Michelle L. Dean is Assistant Professor and Director of the Graduate Art Therapy Program at Notre Dame of Maryland University. She is a Board-Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor (Alabama and Pennsylvania), Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapist (Maryland), AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST), and Certified Psychosexual Therapist (C-PST, International Association of Psychosexual Therapy). For nearly three decades, she has integrated clinical practice, higher education, supervision, scholarship, and international consultation.

Professor Dean earned her Master of Arts in Creative Arts in Therapy – Art Therapy from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration with a concentration in Art Therapy from The University of the Arts. She completed post-master’s certification in Sex Therapy at Widener University and was inducted into Iota Iota Iota (Triota), the National Women’s and Gender Studies Honor Society, in recognition of her scholarship, leadership, and advocacy.

Prior to joining Notre Dame of Maryland University, Professor Dean served as Director of the Graduate and Undergraduate Art Therapy Programs at Cedar Crest College, Undergraduate Art Therapy Director at The University of the Arts, Art Therapy and Trauma Track Coordinator at The Renfrew Center, and Primary Therapist for Delaware County Women Against Rape and Crime Victims Services. In addition to her academic appointments, she has maintained an active private practice, providing psychotherapy to individuals, couples, families, and groups. She has also provided clinical supervision, professional consultation, and continuing education workshops for mental health clinicians nationally and internationally.

Her scholarship explores the intersection of trauma, attachment, depth psychology, expressive arts, image, eating disorders, sexuality, embodiment, and art-based supervision. She has presented nationally and internationally throughout the United States, China, Croatia, Hungary, and the United Kingdom, and her work emphasizes culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and evidence-informed approaches to psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and art therapy education.

Professor Dean is the recipient of the American Art Therapy Association’s Pearlie Roberson Award, the Pennsylvania Art Therapy Association’s Innovative Art Therapy Award, and Honorary Lifetime Membership, the association’s highest honor recognizing sustained contributions to the profession.

Research

Interests

• Trauma, Attachment, and Complex PTSD
• Eating Disorders, Body Image, and Embodiment
• Neurobiological and Psychophysiological Mechanisms of Art, Imagery, and Emotion Regulation
• Pain, Stress, and Mind–Body Integration
• Autoimmune Disorders, Chronic Illness, and the Mind–Body Connection
• Women's Mental Health Across the Lifespan
• Depth Psychology and Symbolic Processes
• Art-Based Clinical Supervision
• Expressive Therapies Continuum
• Psychosexual Therapy and Sexual Health
• Identity Development and Creative Transformation
• Responsiveness in Mental Health Care

Presentations

• London Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy (LDPR), Virtual, Invited International Tutor for students in London
• From Fantasy to Form: Art Therapy, Archetypes, and the Transformative Power of Kink and BDSM (June 2026)
• International Association of Psychosexual Therapy (IAPST), Budapest, Hungary
• Shadow, Symbol, and Sexuality: Integrating Sex Therapy and Art Therapy Through Depth Psychology (2026)
• Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR), Vancouver, Canada
• From Fantasy to Form: Art Therapy, Archetypes, and the Transformative Power of Kink and BDSM (2026)
• Chinese Institute of Psychology (CIP), Beijing, China
• Foundations of Art Therapy - Level I: Mechanisms, Meaning, Materials & Ethics (2026)
• C.G. Jung and His Art: Creative Process, Symbolism, and the Development of Analytical Psychology (2026)
• Learning by Doing: An Experiential Introduction to Art Therapy, Parts Work, and Creative Self-Exploration (2026)

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

• American Art Therapy Association - Credentialed Professional Member
• Art Therapy Credentials Board - Certified and Registered Art Therapist
• Maryland Chapter of the American Art Therapy Association - Credentialed Professional Member
• Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Art Therapy Association - Credentialed Professional Member and Honorary Life Member
• International Association for Jungian Studies - Member
• American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists - Professional Member
• International Association of Psychosexual Therapists - Associate Member

Awards

• The Ronald E. Hays Distinguished Speaker's Award (2015). Bestowed by The Delaware Valley Art Therapy Association.
• Honorary Life Member Award (2012). Bestowed by The Pennsylvania Art Therapy Association.
• The Ronald E. Hays Distinguished Speaker's Award (2009). Bestowed by The Delaware Valley Art Therapy Association.
• Faculty Development Fund Award, Arcadia University. (2009). For Advance-practice course delivered at the Annual American Art Therapy Association Conference in Dallas, Texas.
• Innovations in Art Therapy Award (2007), Bestowed by The Delaware Valley Art Therapy Association.
• Faculty Development Fund Award, Arcadia University. (2005). For M.A. in Clinical Art Therapy Program Proposal.
• Honorable Mention Award. Oreland Art Center (2004). Juried Member Show. Blue Bell, PA.
• Painting Award. American Psychiatric Art Association Juried Show (1994). Philadelphia Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA