Michele Rattigan, DHSc, (pronouns: she/her) is a registered, board-certified art therapist and nationally certified, licensed professional counselor with specializations in trauma, post-partum depression and anxiety, disordered eating and body image concerns, self-harming behaviors and dissociative disorders. Her teaching philosophy is informed by Universal Design for Learning and 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, creativity, well-being, mindfulness, self- and community compassion, interdisciplinary collaboration and equity in mental health care influence her work as a clinician, artist, writer researcher, volunteer, national presenter, keynote speaker and 25 years as an educator.
Rattigan is currently the creative arts therapies clinical coordinator at Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services where she supervises and co-facilitates art therapy with Drexel practicum and internship art therapy and counseling students.
Academic Distinctions
- 2022 Drexel CNHP Person of Purpose, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
- 2007 Delaware Valley Art Therapy Association Active Artist Award, Philadelphia, PA
- October 1998 Gold Service Excellence Award, Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, DE
- June 1998 Silver Service Excellence Award, Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, DE
Professional Society
American Art Therapy Association
American Counseling Association/New Jersey Counseling Association
National Board of Certified Counselors
Pennsylvania Art Therapy Association and New Jersey Art Therapy Association
Selected Publications
Rattigan, M. D. (2022). The art(making) of self-compassion for busy clinicians. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2022.100503
Rattigan, M. D. (2024, May). Teacher, be gentle with yourself: An experimental study of a one-session, online self-compassion workshop for nursing and health professions clinical educators [Doctoral dissertation, Drexel University]. https://doi.org/10.17918/00002024
Rattigan, M. D. (expected 2025). eXit. In N. Carlton (Ed.), Illustrating stories: Comics and graphic novel use in art therapy. Jessica Kingsley.
Rattigan, M. D., Morningstar, D., & Horowitz, S. (2021). The button method: A model of collaboration with creative arts therapies. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2021.1950092
Wolf, D. R., & Rattigan, M. D. (manuscript). Art therapy and brain injury: Making the invisible visible. Frontiers in the Arts Therapies and Neuroscience.
For updates, visit Dr. Rattigan’s ORCID iD at https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1355-0197
Grant Participation:
2018-2019
Co-researcher
Use of Mindfulness in Virtual Reality
Dean’s Rapid Response Relevant Grant (R3), Drexel University
Abby Dougherty, PhD (PI)
Research Projects
2020-2021
Co-researcher-participant
Sustaining life on earth: Arts-based responses to the lived experiences of COVID-19
Nancy Gerber, PhD (PI)
2019-2024
Researcher
Teacher, Be Gentle with Yourself: An Experimental Study of a One-Session, Online Self-Compassion Workshop for Nursing and Health Professions Clinical Educators
Al Rundio, DNP, Anne Nixon-Dower, PhD (PIs)
Research Interests
Self-compassion, trauma stewardship, cultural humility, mindfulness, painted meditation and interprofessional collaboration
Specialization
Unresolved trauma; post-partum depression and anxiety; disordered eating and body image concerns; self-harming behaviors; dissociative disorders
2019–2024
Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions, Philadelphia, PA
Doctor of Health Science, Higher Education Concentration
- Dissertation: Teacher, Be Gentle with Yourself: An Experimental Study of a One-Session, Online Self-Compassion Workshop for Nursing and Health Professions Clinical Educators
1994–1996
MCP Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, MA in Art Therapy
- Thesis: Art Therapy with Women Experiencing the Change of Life: A Double Case Study
1990–1994
The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, BFA in Painting and Drawing; Certificate of Concentration in Art Therapy
- Senior Painting Thesis: Essence: An Exploration of Nature