Clinical/Research Focus

Pediatric Medical Art Therapy

About

Jooan Alpers specializes in child life and art therapy. She has more than 30 years of experience in making children’s hospital visits more comfortable, anxiety-free, and in many cases, fun. By incorporating medical play, which lets children use real or toy medical equipment, Aplers helps prepare children for their medical treatment. She is a former president of Child Life of Greater NY.

COURSES
History, Theory, and Practice of Art Therapy

Licensing + Credentials

  • Sandplay Practitioner, 2014
  • Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, New York, 2006
  • Registered and Board-Certified Art Therapist, 1991
  • Permanent Certification, K-12, Art education, New York, 1990
  • Certified Child Life Specialist, 1989

Publications (selected)

  • Alpers, J. (2025). Body Image in Children who Encounter Medical Conditions and Hospitalizations. In E. Misluk-Gervase, H. Moffatt, and T. McLane (eds.), Treatment approaches for body image in art therapy. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 
  • Alpers, J.(2019). Working with Children Who Encounter Medical Challenges: A Multimodal Approach. In D. Elkis-Abuhoff and M. Gaydos (Ed.), Art and Expressive Therapies Within the Medical Model (pp.24-35). New York, NY: Routledge.