Outstanding Service to AATA - Board and Committee Memberships and Contribution:
Memberships: AATA Board member and Board Liaison for the Education committees and the Educational Program Approval Board and member of the Art Therapy Journal Editorial Board, AATA Board membership for 6 years, Educational Program Approval Board, (formerly ETB), Education and Training Board, Chair of the long range Planning Committee and member of Nominating Committee for two years and of multiple other committees.
Contributions: Shaping educational standards for art therapy programs to include multicultural and diversity considerations and developing art therapy educational standards to match and exceed existing mental health education, training, supervision and clinical trends and standards throughout the United States.
Outstanding Contributions as an Art Therapy Educator:
Shirley Riley provided 18 years of service and education to students and future art therapists at Immaculate Heart and Loyola Marymount University, (Clinical Art Therapy/ Marriage and Family Therapy). She also taught MFT graduate courses and classes at Pepperdine University and Phillips Graduate Institute. She was a stimulating teacher, who was innovative in her teaching style and kept current of developing art therapy approaches and specialties and of the development of new epistemologies in the human sciences. Shirley Riley was a gifted teacher, as evident by the many students who maintained contact with her after graduation and independently sought her professional consultation. She was a highly skilled clinician and art therapist. MFT/ psychology students and licensed professionals and art therapists sought training and consultation from her. As a seasoned and experienced teacher, I (Noah Hass-Cohen) often sought guidance from her on how to traditionally and non-traditionally, inform, teach and guide students in the complicated journeys required today.
Long Term Outstanding Direct Services To The Community:
Shirley was the recipient of the AATA 1990 Clinical award for outstanding contributions to working with families. She worked at Didi Hirsch, a mental health community agency for 18 years. She introduced family art therapy there, an achievement in and of itself, and trained many LMU art therapy students for years. She also provided inservices to the LA community at large during the 1992 LA Riots. She consulted and supervised for OPICA, a geriatric center in LA, she volunteered supervision at Cedars Sinai Hospital and co-created a support group model for the Grossman Burn center where she also provided services to children and their families. While the breadth of her clinical services was remarkable and the quality of her services, as evident in the many articles she wrote, was outstanding, I would like to highlight her respect for clients. I consistently noticed how she was always respectful and honorable of her clients and of other clients. She truly considered herself fortunate and privileged to offer services to persons of all ages color and social status.
Significant Published Contribution to the Theories and The Pragmatics of Art Therapy:
Shirley published in many journals including in the Journal of Korean Art therapy and in the AAMFT and CAMFT publications. Her publishing exceeded many art therapists’ publications both in scope and quantity. Her book, Integrated Approaches to Family Art Therapy presented ground breaking art therapy ideas and was well received by the professional community. In 1996, she co-authored Supervision and Related Issues with Cathy A. Malchiodi, a highly respected art therapy author and editor. I believe this is the only available textbook of art therapy supervision. She published Contemporary Art Therapy with Adolescents which provided much needed insight into adolescent behavior and the possibilities for effective treatment.
Outstanding International and National Art Therapy Presenter:
Shirley was a regular presenter throughout Asia and Europe. She was repeatedly invited to present in the Netherlands, in Korea and Japan and through out the United States. She also presented at major national conferences and was often part of the main panel presenters. Her presentations were extremely well received and through her travels and connections she promoted art therapy conversations, exchange and communication.
paraphrased from Noah Hass-Cohen's nomination of Shirley Riley for the American Art Therapy Association Honorary Lifetime Membership, awarded to Shirley Riley in 2000.
