We recently connected with Kyle Congdon and have shared our conversation below.

Kyle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

I think in my short tenure as an art therapist, there has been a lot that’s been misunderstood and mischaracterized about what I do for a living and the nature of the work in general. As many art therapists will tell you, this work involves a constant amount of self advocacy, confidence, and a strong personal definition of the work we provide.

In my personal life, depending on the situation, I sometimes dread saying what I do for work. When I meet strangers, people often assume so many things. People often assume I am providing art classes or filling gaps in the day with arbitrary art experiences. People assume I only work for children. People assume I only have an undergraduate degree. People have even assumed I can unlock their minds through drawings they do on cocktail napkins.
I have had so many conversations with others that start off with, “I do art therapy,” which is then followed by either a doctor, or a clinician, or a teacher, or even once a camp counselor saying that they do art therapy. I usually have to bite my tongue and try not to reference the amount of student loan debt I have to be able to say I am a practicing art therapist, and change the subject to what tv shows they have been watching.

In the majority of the work places I’ve worked as well, its been met with many misunderstanding of the nature of art therapy. Though I am mostly often met with respect from my previous jobs, its not uncommon for an art therapist to be mistaken as the sole creative energy in often very clinical environments. Though I consider myself a very creative person that thrives on living out art in my life, I have been asked to do so many things outside of just being an art therapist, from questions on interior design, creating holiday decorations and doing the decorating, being asked to do large scale murals between seeing clients, finding and framing art to make halls look “homier,” and being asked to do “arts and crafts,” In saying all this, these often have presented many opportunities that I have enjoyed and stretched my creative abilities, but it can make solidifying my identity as an art therapist difficult at times when so many external definitions are put upon it.

I have learned through experience the power of saying “no” and providing quality work over quantity roles. It is an active engagement in boundaries and maintaining what I know being an art therapist is about.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Kyle Congdon and I am currently a full time, board certified art therapist in the state of Pennsylvania. I currently use the visual arts to aid individuals struggling with eating disorders to manage control, perfectionism, process trauma safely, find containment, develop new skills, and reframe rigid frameworks to ultimately heal and bring in this creative element to their life experience. I utilize a variety of materials ranging from drawing supplies, painting supplies, sculpture, clay, collage, and even on occasion found objects, nature, and even the space we are working in as part of the art therapy experience.

I have worked with a variety of populations ranging from the Autism Spectrum Disorders, developmental disorders, behavioral work, inpatient psychiatric disorders, neurocognitive disorders, ranging in ages from 3 years to 100 years. I have learned so much in this field and feel it really activates me at my core. I am very grateful to be able to do work that captures so much of what I appreciate about life.

I also work occasionally as a free lance artist. My artwork is often my own form of release and can’t help but pull out a lot of emotion in the work I do. I often am drawn toward making and viewing more emotionally expressive work. I used to fight against it in preference toward realism and refined techniques but my work would often feel forced, stressful, and missing this big element that pushed it beyond just being an aesthetic image. I try to remain authentic in my work and hope it is expressed in it.

I don’t often promote my work, I can be a bit of an artistic hermit, slowly filling the walls of my studio overlooking the Philadelphia skyline. If interested you can see some of my artwork and art therapy interventions on my artist Instagram @kylecongdonart.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up, I had the message instilled in me that the harder you work, the more you give, and the more you struggle will lead to success and greatness. I am not sure why that stayed with me, this small town illusion of the American dream, in which if you grit and bare it, things will eventually work out. I worked so many jobs, or even internships that were so difficult and stressful I would tell myself that this is just what it is like to work in this field. To help people means to sacrifice.

It’s amazing how life will eventually catch up with you, and make you realize that life should not be this upward battle, this vague hope that eventually things will feel better or that it will get easier.

I have learned to work smarter and not harder and find some peace in finding work life balance and seeking out working and personal experiences that feel supportive, grounding, and sustainable. Life is too short to be feeling excessively depleted and I find when I have room to care for myself and the freedom to act from my intuition I am more inclined to do quality work and work from a place of creativity.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In my mid twenties, I was just starting my career. I was working as a mobile therapist, working in homes and schools to aid children and families with developmental or behavioral needs. It was immensely stressful but rewarding in a sense that I was so valued and needed.

Toward the end of this role, I was in a very whirlwind relationship that ended very intensely and ultimately landed on me feeling that it was time for a big change. I had always wanted to leave my home but never had the courage to do it.

Work had become so emotionally taxing and I was in a place of now or never. I used my savings and moved to Philadelphia, moved into a small room in a home of these two people I met online, and just spent every day working toward restarting things. I had so many interviews where art therapy wasn’t seen as necessary, or I didn’t have the right title, or didn’t have the right experience. The job market was tight and it felt impossible.

I buried my pride and worked at a bakery selling bread to very demanding people in Rittenhouse Square, worked as a sales associate at Urban Outfitters, all while still reaching for my goal, with very little money. I finally got a weekend role as an art therapist, that turned into a full time job at a private psychiatric hospital.

Then, in April 2020, after weeks of struggling with pandemic stress, and confusion, the job I always wanted, being an art therapist at the rehab I loved working at so much reached out to share my resume was “floating around” and they interviewed me for the main art therapist role. While in quarantine for Covid-19 a few weeks later, a time where I thought I might die of this because it was so new, I got a call that I received the position and was able to make the transition during a really difficult time and quite a few years of struggle and hustle.

I have to remind myself that I started from scratch, especially in difficult times. I think I have learned that dark times don’t last forever as long as you don’t lose sight of the light and what you are seeking. On occasion the universe will lend you a hand.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kylecongdonart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-congdon-ma-atr-bc-97a27964

Image Credits
Photographer of headshot: Shaun O’Dat Instagram: @shaunobphoto Artwork are all original pieces by Kyle Congdon