UO lecture to explore art, play as therapy for young trauma victims

Art and play therapist Linda Chapman will lecture at the University of Oregon this month on how art can be an effective form of therapy for treating youthful victims of violence and trauma.

The talk, “The Neurobiology of Violence and Healing with Art Therapy,” will be at 7:30 p.m., on Thursday, April 12 in 182 Lillis Hall on the UO campus.

In her talk, Chapman will offer a brief overview of the neurobiology and etiology of violence, and offer ideas for treating violent youth with art therapy. The lecture will include case studies and samples of artwork from many of Chapman’s own clients, and should be of relevance to those interested in many areas of the sciences and arts as well as the humanities.

Chapman directs the Art Institute of the Redwoods in Northern California, a center for learning and therapy, and is a frequent workshop facilitator. Chapman was affiliated with UC San Francisco for 25 years, holding clinical faculty and research appointments. She also created – and for 10 years directed – the San Francisco General Hospital Pediatric Play Therapy Program. 

Chapman is a nationally-recognized expert in the use of art therapy and play therapy with children who are the victims of violence, child abuse and medical trauma. She is the author of many peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and is an adjunct faculty member of many universities.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information or disability accommodations, contact ohc@uoregon.edu or call (541) 346-3934.

Chapman’s visit to Eugene is sponsored by the Oregon Humanities Center’s O'Fallon Lecture. The lectureship was established by a gift from Henry and Betsy Mayer, and it was named in memory of their nephew and the son of UO law professor James O'Fallon and his wife, artist Ellen Thomas. The subject of the lecture alternates each year between law and art and American culture. Past topics have included philosophy, jurisprudence, American political life, architecture, and art theory and criticism.

Chapman’s talk is part of the Oregon Humanities Center’s “Conflict” series – a year-long, campus-wide exploration of controversy, ideology, ambivalence, convergence, compromise and resolution featuring lectures, performances, exhibits and films.