Mikey Anderson Brings Radical, Queer-Centered Care to Art Therapy
Mikey Anderson, a queer art therapist at Wellness Home Behavioral Health, has contributed a powerful chapter to the upcoming book Queer Worldmaking in Art Therapy: Theory and Practice, a timely and transformative publication that explores inclusive, affirming approaches to mental health care through art therapy.
Anderson’s work stands at the intersection of identity, creativity, and advocacy, bringing lived experience and community-centered practice into a field that is rapidly evolving to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals.
A Chicago native who grew up in Back of the Yards, Mikey’s journey into art therapy was shaped by both personal identity and professional exploration.
“I’m a queer art therapist… and I kind of figured out through working with folks… that art therapy made the most sense as a next step for my art practice,” Anderson shared.
Their work spans community-based initiatives, from quilting projects with older adults to expressive arts programming with LGBTQ+ elders, experiences that have informed a deeply human and accessible therapeutic approach.
Mikey’s contribution to Queer Worldmaking in Art Therapy reflects a broader mission to challenge outdated, heteronormative frameworks in mental health care.
“That’s been a big catalyst to why I wanted to do more writing and research to dismantle heteronormative approaches to mental health,” they explained.
The book itself is designed as a diverse and expansive resource for clinicians, researchers, and advocates.
“The hope is that it becomes an encyclopedia… including people inside and outside the art therapy field who can further research practices with working with LGBTQ folks,” Anderson said.
When asked to describe their therapeutic style in one word, Anderson responded:
“Radical.”
This philosophy is grounded in authenticity, inclusivity, and a commitment to seeing clients as whole individuals and not case studies.
“We’re not case studies… everyone has their lived experience when they walk into the room.”
Their work emphasizes the importance of representation, safety, and community within therapeutic environments, which are values that align closely with Wellness Home Behavioral Health’s mission.
Mickey also highlighted the importance of intentional inclusion within organizations:
“Hiring from the community is really important… people who know the community, who are part of the community, who look like the community.”
They stress that inclusion must go beyond performative gestures, extending into staffing, environment, and visible representation.
At the heart of Anderson’s work is a simple but powerful message:
“LGBTQ people belong everywhere and anywhere… no matter where. If it’s suppressed, they’re still there.”
And for those struggling to feel seen or understood:
“At some point, you’ll find your community… your people… your sense of safety.”
About the Book
Queer Worldmaking in Art Therapy: Theory and Practice brings together diverse voices to reimagine therapeutic practices through an LGBTQ+ affirming lens. Anderson’s chapter incorporates visual storytelling through comics—offering an innovative, accessible approach to research and narrative.
Abstract
The chapter leverages the comic form to challenge conventional politics of art, memory, and kinship by connecting LGBTQIA+ clients across a cultural continuum of queerness. It explores LGBTQIA+ art in diverse spaces—streets, museums, bookstores, and bars—celebrating these as gateways to queer worlds of possibility. In the art therapy studio, I advocate for practicing cultural memory as a form of queer world-building, introducing and linking clients to their inherited queer ancestors who used art for social transformation, like Keith Haring, Gran Fury, Nicole Eisenman, Alison Bechdel, Rupert Kinnard, and David Wojnarowicz. Comics and zines have historically been vital tools for LGBTQIA+ activism, protest, and community care, blending words and images to create accessible narratives about health, rights, and liberation. This chapter demonstrates how comics can be used in art therapy to explore the politics of cultural production and censorship. By combining scholarly analysis with comic narrative, the chapter intentionally queers traditional boundaries of writing and visual storytelling, much like queer and trans individuals have redefined gender norms. I created this queer comic to underscore the political nature of queer identities and therapeutic practice, addressing current battles over gender-affirming care and LGBTQIA+ rights while celebrating the creativity, resilience, and joy of our radical community.
If you need to speak to queer therapist, you can contact Mikey Anderson at m.anderson@wellnesshome.org
Media Contact:
Perez Pratt
Marketing & Communications
Wellness Home Behavioral Health