Abby Calisch, Psy.D., LPC, ATR-BC, Director of the Graduate Art Therapy Program, is a clinical psychologist, licensed professional counselor and a registered and board-certified art therapist. She is a Professor in Health Professions and the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Psychiatry.

She received her B.A. in Sculpture from the University of Colorado, her M.S. in Art Therapy from Hahnemann Medical University (now Drexel) and her Psy.D. from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology (now Argosy-Chicago).

Prior to coming to EVMS, Dr. Calisch’s academic positions included professor of graduate psychology at Argosy University in

Dallas, associate professor and director of art therapy at the University of Louisville, associate professor and director of the art therapy program at Concordia University (Montreal, Quebec), and assistant professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Her clinical appointments have included founding art therapist at Michael Reese Hospital, Director of Expressive Therapies at the University of Chicago Billings Hospital, Director of the Expressive Therapies Department at University Hospital, and art therapist at Central State Hospital-Louisville, Presbyterian Hospital-Dallas and Southwestern Medical Center-Zale Lipshy-Dallas.

Professionally, Dr. Calisch has served as chair of the Educational Program Approval Board for several terms and as a director on the Board of the American Art Therapy Association for two terms. She has presented at numerous local, national and international conferences and has published on the topics of supervision, cultural diversity, problem- focused art therapy and theoretical orientations.