About
Michele Rattigan (she/her) is a registered, board-certified art therapist, nationally certified/licensed professional counselor and clinical associate professor in the graduate Art Therapy and Counseling program of the Creative Arts Therapies Department. After graduating from Drexel’s art therapy program in 1996, Michele worked with individuals across the lifespan in a variety of settings including psychiatric, medical, rehabilitative and educational; 15 years in private practice; and three years as the creative arts therapies’ clinical coordinator at Drexel’s Parkway Health and Wellness.
Rattigan began teaching art therapy courses in 1999. Her teaching philosophy focuses on the dynamic teacher-student relationship and presence as pedagogy to support student growth that is trauma-informed, compassionate, socially mindful and grounded in cultural humility. The intersections of daily arts practices, everyday creativity, well-being, mindfulness, self-compassion, community compassion, interdisciplinary collaboration and equity in mental healthcare influence her work as a clinician, artist, writer, volunteer and educator.
Rattigan is currently a doctoral student in Drexel’s Health Sciences program where she is studying self-compassion and cultural humility in clinical education.