Julia Volonts (LCAT, ATR-BC) is a Licensed & Board-Certified Art Therapist and educator working between the U.S. and Europe. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts (2017) with a Master of Professional Studies in Art Therapy and obtaining her credentials, she continued her studies as a Fulbright Scholar to Latvia (2019) and later completed the Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery Certificate through the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma (2023). She currently serves as an Assistant Professor within the Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) Graduate Art Therapy program and is the Founder & Director of Art Therapy Lab, an international studio-lab exploring community-based practice at the intersection of art therapy and related fields through interdisciplinary dialogue, collaboration, and practice-based research.

Julia works within both community public arts and health sectors, as well as in private practice as an art psychotherapist. She specializes in supporting adults navigating anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and life transitions, integrating creative arts processes with talk therapy. Her therapeutic approach centers on self-compassion, personal awareness, and existential inquiry, helping clients reshape their inner narratives with curiosity and empowerment.

Beyond clinical practice, she teaches courses on research, practicum, and social justice and transformative practice in art therapy within the Graduate Art Therapy program at NDMU. She also conducts workshops at conferences and guest lectures, drawing from her international art therapy experience. Through Art Therapy Lab, she designs and facilitates collaborative public programs, professional development initiatives, and a yearly international residency in Latvia.

Her research interests include the dual identity of the artist and art therapist, intergenerational trauma, ethics in cross-cultural contexts, and the role of art therapy within the broader arts and health ecosystem. She is an active member of both the European Federation of Art Therapy (EFAT) Art Therapy in Museums Special Interest Group and the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) International Art Therapy Special Interest Group.

Julia is passionate about the evolving position of art therapy within the changing landscape of mental health and wellbeing. She believes:

“The world needs a space to heal— why not do it together, and do it with art?”