Please Welcome Our 2022-2023 Mickie McGraw Fellow

to Diversify the Field of Art Therapy

Michelle “Starr” Starling is our inaugural Fellow for the Mickie McGraw Fellowship to Diversify the Field of Art Therapy. She is a self-taught painter and mixed-media/ mosaic artist from Cleveland, Ohio. Starr worked as a teacher within the Cleveland Metropolitan School district and holds a Master’s degree in Education (M. Ed). Starr completed her Masters in Counseling and Art Therapy (LPC-AT) from Ursuline College, where she was awarded the St. Hildegard of Bingen: Excellence in Therapeutic Creativity Award. Starr worked as a Behavioral Health Specialist and counselor within a community-based agency. Starr is the founder of Supportive Optimistic Sisterhood (S.O.S), which is an art therapy and wellness group designed to introduce African American Women to the healing benefits of art therapy.

Starr utilizes her artistic abilities to help reduce the overall cultural stigma associated with mental health services within her community. Starr’s long-term goal is to help facilitate a district-wide art therapy program to assist in meeting the social and emotional needs of public-school students.

We are happy to have Starr working with us and look forward to helping her grow her career in art therapy.