EAT China Program First Cohort Graduate

The First Cohort of the Sino–US Expressive Arts Therapy (EAT) Training Program Has Graduated!

Cohort 1 Holds a Heartwarming Graduation Ceremony

After a year and a half of deep study and exploration since the enrollment in April 2024, the first cohort of the Sino–US Expressive Arts Therapy Training Program successfully completed their training in September 2025. On November 8, students and faculty gathered for a warm, memorable online graduation ceremony.

Program Director Professor Vivien Speiser and Dr. Zhou Yu, together with the core teaching team—Dr. Phillip Speiser, Dr. Keren Shechter, Dr. Michal Lev, and Dr. Yousef AlAjarma—all attended the ceremony to offer heartfelt blessings and encouragement. Their reflections were concise and poetic, filled with care, hope, and confidence in the graduates’ future contributions as pioneers of localized EAT practice in China. Professor Vivien Speiser also shared an original poem, “The Circle Opens – A Farewell Poem,” expressing her profound hopes for the graduates’ continuing journeys.

Representatives from the program’s co-organizers, Inspirees Institute and JDXL, along with teaching assistant and translator, also extended their congratulations. Over the past 18 months, we witnessed the students’ wholehearted engagement—curiosity, joy, confusion, anger, and tears. We shared countless art-making processes, experiential presentations, and moments spent together at the Beijing teaching site—overlooking the lotus pond outside the classroom window, watching the seasons shift from spring’s first sprouts to winter’s stillness. These moments have become cherished memories that will stay with us for years to come.

During the student sharing session, gratitude emerged as a central theme. Students expressed appreciation for the courage it took to begin this journey, for the supportive community they built together, and for the professional guidance and personal growth made possible by the faculty. They shared a common belief: although the course has come to an end, the connections formed here will continue—transitioning from classmates to colleagues and growing into a lasting network of professional collaboration and mutual support.

As memories, emotions, and visions for the future intertwined, students responded to their learning process not only through words but also through arts—paintings, 3D creations, songs, personal objects, and more. Once again, art—as a universal language—offered a space for deep resonance and heartfelt connection.

The Journey Continues

Although the coursework has concluded, the creative journey of the professional community is only just beginning. Students of Cohort 1 are preparing to launch their First Graduation Art Exhibition, with artworks currently being collected. The exhibition is scheduled for May 2026 in Beijing, showcasing students’ creations, artistic transformation processes, on-site collaborative art-making, and expressive arts therapy workshops led by graduates. A rich and inspiring experience awaits—stay tuned!

Inspirees Institute will continue to support the long-term development of this professional community together with the faculty team and collaborating partners. We remain committed to advancing expressive arts therapy and creative arts therapies in China through professional conferences, practice exchange, and resource sharing. In the development of EAT in other counties, community has always played a central role—and we are delighted to witness the Chinese EAT community taking root, flourishing, and steadily expanding.

About the Program

The Sino–US Expressive Arts Therapy Training Program is dedicated to cultivating expressive arts therapists who meet international professional standards and to contributing qualified practitioners to China’s mental health and creative arts therapy fields.

The Program Director Professor Vivien Speiser is a Lesley University Professor Emerita. The curriculum emphasizes the integration of expressive arts modalities and the aesthetic experience of art-making.  It encompasses four courses:

• Expressive Arts Therapy Theory and Practice

• Group Process in Expressive Therapy

• Expressive Arts Therapy Studio

• Applications of Expressive Arts Therapy

The program has been designed to meet the core curriculum requirements for  IEATA’s Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT) credential. Graduates who hold the MA degree and meet all of IEATA’s requirements and have completed all training requirements, internship hours, and supervision benchmarks are eligible to apply for REAT certification.

Cohort 3 Admissions Opening now!

As the sole educational partner organization of IEATA in mainland China, Inspirees continues to ensure the program’s professional quality and international standards. Cohort 2 now midway through its journey and will graduate in May 2026. Our shared Beijing training site has already witnessed countless moments of growth for both Cohort 1 and Cohort 2.

Looking ahead to Cohort 3, we will be extending our steps southeastward to launch the new cohort in Shanghai in June 2026, a city vibrant with creativity and possibility. We warmly invite you to join us there as we explore the depth and breadth of expressive arts therapy together.

Admissions are now open. For more information, please contact education@inspirees.com.