My name is Ingrid Pénzes. I’m an art therapist, mental health scientist, and hold a PhD in the social sciences. Since 2021, I’ve been working independently as a researcher, educator, and author in the field of Creative Arts Therapies.

Before that, I worked as an art therapist in psychiatric care since 1999 and served as lecturere and head of the Arts Therapies program at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences since 2003. My passion lies in bridging the worlds of science, clinical practice, and education.

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Driven by this mission, I translated the findings of my PhD research into a practical Art Therapy Assessment method: ArTA. I now train art therapists to apply this in their practice and support educators in teaching students how to use it.

Alongside my PhD research, I’ve been involved in the Creative Minds project with the KenVaK research group, where we explore how art materials and instructions affect brain activity. This work has deepened my understanding of the neuroscience behind art therapy, helping to ground my research findings in brain science.

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To further this integrative vision, I co-founded the International Art Therapy Neuroscience Collective (IANTC). Together with a core team of 16 researchers working at the intersection of art therapy and neuroscience, we share knowledge, learn from one another, and make scientific insights accessible to therapists, educators, researchers, and students around the world.