Cait Prestage

Provisional Registered Art Therapist (ATR-P, ATCB), eligible for the Licensed Creative Art Therapist (LCAT) Limited Permit in New York, with over three years of experience providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive care across hospital, school, and community settings. My approach centers on building strong, trusting therapeutic relationships and collaborating closely with individuals and care teams to foster healing, resilience, and growth. I am committed to meeting each person where they are, honoring their unique strengths and experiences to support their journey toward greater well-being.

Inpatient Art Therapist

Humboldt Park Health – Chicago, IL - 08/2024 to 06/2025

• Revitalized and directed the inpatient art therapy services at a safety-net hospital dedicated to expanding access in a historically marginalized community.
• Led expressive and recreational group sessions focused on emotional regulation, recovery, and meaning-making for adults facing severe and persistent mental illness, trauma, and complex mental and physical health challenges.
• Collaborated actively with interdisciplinary teams during daily rounds and played a key role in the Joint Commission review process.
• Designed and implemented accessible, impactful programming tailored to patients of diverse backgrounds.

Art Therapy and Mental Health Counseling Graduate Student Intern

Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital – Hoffman Estates, IL - 04/2023 to 06/2024

• Delivered group, family, and individual art therapy sessions in inpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization settings.
• Developed comfort with diverse treatments, medications, therapeutic approaches, and a wide range of diagnoses, providing interventions across specialty units such as high-acuity mood and personality disorders, eating disorders, geriatric and pediatric psychiatry, residential substance use, and electroconvulsive therapy.
• Supported patients during transitions in levels of care, including adolescents in school anxiety and refusal programs, as well as parents in perinatal mental health intensive outpatient programs.
• Participated in an art exhibition with the hospice and palliative care center, emphasizing legacy and family connection.

Art Therapy and Mental Health Counseling Practicum Student 

“Together Chicago” in Chicago Public Schools – Chicago, IL - 09/2022 to 05/2023

• Developed and implemented personalized interventions and small group counseling, collaborating effectively with teachers, counselors, and administrators. 
• Provided timely support in urgent situations and advocated for marginalized students in the aftermath of the pandemic. 
• Employed innovative creative strategies to engage students and promote social-emotional development.

Master of Arts In Counseling: Art Therapy, Adler University in Chicago, IL  [2024]

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN [2022]