Jordan Potash

Areas of Expertise

• Social change, social justice, advocacy, peace building
• Cross-cultural competence
• Multicultural and disenfranchised history of art therapy
• Jungian, archetypal and imaginal psychology
• Joan Kellogg's "The Archetypal Stages of the Great Round of Mandala"
• Medical humanities
• Ethics

Jordan S. Potash, PhD, ATR-BC, REAT, LPAT (DC), LCPAT (MD) is a registered, board certified, and licensed art therapist, as well as, registered expressive arts therapist (USA). He is Associate Professor in the Art Therapy Graduate Program at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. As an art therapist for 25 years, Potash has worked with clients of all ages in many settings including schools, clinics, and community art studios. He has worked with organizations in Washington DC focused on youth experiencing homelessness and families managing grief. His primarily interests are in the applications of art and art therapy in the service of community development, social change, and peacebuilding. Potash has authored several articles and book chapters as well as presented at conferences, universities, and communities globally including U.S.A., United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Israel, Korea, Singapore. In support of the art therapy profession, Potash served as Editor of Art Therapy (2019-2024) and led advocacy efforts for the passage and implementation of the DC Professional Art Therapist Licensure Amendment Act. For more information, view podcasts of past lectures, or to view his portfolio, please visit www.jordanpotash.com.
 

Current Research

• Social change
• Multiculturalism
• Broadening definition and application of art therapy
• Practice-based research

Education

• MA in Art Therapy, George Washington University
• PhD in Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong

Publications

Selected publications by topic (www.jordanpotash.com)

Potash, J. S. & Kalmanowitz, D. L. (2023). Art therapists as activists in social movements. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/15423166231193150

Sabados, D. & Potash, J. S. (2023). Art to humanize mental illness for teaching diagnosis. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221678231161386

Srolovitz, M. Borgwardt, J., Burkart, M., Clementz-Cortes, A., Czamanski-Cohen, J., Ortiz Guzman, M., Hicks, M. Kaimal, G., Lederman, L., Potash, J. S., Yazdian Rubin, S., Stafford, D., Wibben, A., Wood, M., Youngwerth, J., Jones, C. A., & Kwok, I.B. (2022). Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know about music therapy and art therapy. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 25(1), 135-144. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2021.0481

Vance, L. D., & Potash, J. S. (2022). Black Lives Matter protest art: Uncovering explicit and implicit emotions through thematic analysis. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 28(1), 121-129. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000584

Ho, A. H. Y., TanHo, G., Ngo, T. A., Ong, G., Dignadice, D., Chong, P. H., & Potash, J. (2021). A novel Mindful-Compassion Art-based Therapy (MCAT) for reducing burnout and promoting resilience among healthcare workers: Findings from a waitlist randomized control trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 744443. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.744443

Potash, J. S & Gyimah-Boadi, A. (2021). Enhancing intergroup dialogues through art and art therapy. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 38(4), 335-347. https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21304

Khatib, I. & Potash, J. S. (2021). Visual journaling using art therapy with refugees. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 74, Article 101805 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2021.101805

Mariño García, L. & Potash, J. S. (2019). Art therapy as psychosocial support for FARC reincorporation. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, 14(2), 109-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1542316619842046

Tripp, T., Potash, J. S. & Brancheau, D. (2019). Safe Place collage protocol: Art making for managing traumatic stress. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 20(5), 511-525. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2019.1597813

Potash, J.S. (2019). Relational social justice ethics for art therapists. Art Therapy, 35(4), 202-210. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2018.1554019

Potash, J. S., Mann, S. M., Martinez, J. C., Roach, A. B. & Wallace, N. M. (2016).  Spectrum of art therapy practice: Systematic review of Art Therapy 1983-2014.  Art Therapy, 33(3), 119-127. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2016.1199242

Professional Service

American Art Therapy Association: Ethics Committee (2011-2016, chairperson: 2013-2016), Multicultural Committee (1998-present, chairperson: 2003-2005)

Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association: Journal Review Board (2019-2024), Book Review Editor (2010-2014)

Potomac Art Therapy Association: DC Art Therapy Licensure Committee (chairperson: 2015-present)

Distinctions

American Art Therapy Association Research Award (2012)

American Art Therapy Association President’s Award for Service (2024)

Classes Taught

• Art Therapy and Counseling Process
• Creativity and Symbolism
• Human Development and Art Therapy
• Social and Cultural Diversity
• Psychopathology: Art and Diagnosis
• Research Methods in Art Therapy
• Culminating Projects
• Principles and Practices of Art Therapy with Adolescents
• Art Psychotherapy and Trauma I: Theory and Approaches to Treatment