By: Erik Pedersen, Content Strategy Director
BALTIMORE – A new partnership with Villa Assumpta, a retirement home for the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSNDs), provided art therapy master’s students at Notre Dame of Maryland University with a new opportunity to develop their skills as group leaders this fall. The SSNDs are the foundresses of Notre Dame.
Ten students enrolled in the department's Group Process course led weekly 90-minute group art therapy sessions at the residence to complete one of the course’s three leadership requirements. Students would create their own themes for the week, with examples throughout the semester including the making of yarn dolls, a group scribble session, and the creation of a zine booklet.
After giving the SSNDs 30 to 45 minutes of working with the materials provided, students led a community sharing discussion where participants could describe what they made and engage with others on their work.
“I think the community sharing in particular was very therapeutic for the sisters,” said Julia Andersen, NDMU’s graduate program director, and the instructor for the Group Process course. “It would bring back memories and invite spontaneous discussion.”
Around 8 to 10 SSNDs became regular participants in the group sessions throughout the semester. Villa Assumpta is located just a few miles north of NDMU’s campus on North Charles Street.
“It was lovely to hear the sisters reflect afterwards that the partnership allowed them to continue their educational mission in retirement,” said Art Therapy Department chair Cathy Goucher ’94. “They were able to support our graduate students’ training, while personally benefiting on many levels from the art processes and engagement that the students invited.”
Kat Mogollon Cabellos M’24 traveled to Villa Assumpta to lead the third weekly session of the semester. Her theme, mindful scribble drawing, was chosen to encourage relaxation, creativity, and active storytelling after the drawing was complete.
“Some of them were a little unsure at first, but there was an increase in positive feedback as they scribbled once they realized that the pictures were bringing back memories from their past,” Mogollon Cabellos said. “One sister drew two pictures which reminded her of a time when she was younger and really admired her older sister. That in turn led to additional memories about her sister, who she hadn’t thought about in a while.
“Her willingness to present encouraged the other sisters to share their stories and observations,” she continued. “I think that the evening went well overall.”
Other leadership opportunities for students enrolled the Group Process course included leading an in-class session in front of their peers, and supporting one of the Art Therapy Department’s weekly art hives, which welcome both NDMU and outside community members to campus for free and open art making. All art therapy graduate students are also required to complete 1,000 hours of clinical work at off-site internships throughout their time at Notre Dame.
“I’m in my second year of the program, and I’ve had some really positive experiences in my classes,” Mogollon Cabellos said. “There will be times where I find myself challenging the concepts and ideas a bit. But because we’re doing these classes alongside our internships, there are moments where I’m like, ‘Oh, now I see why I was taught this,’ because I’m seeing it play out in real life with my clients. That’s been really helpful, and it’s made me feel more confident that I’ll be a successful art therapist after I graduate.”
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
