Creativity has the power to heal, inspire, and transform — a truth that 2025 International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) Rising Star Award recipient Dr. Heidi Heft LaPorte brings to life through her incredible work in the community.

A graduate of the Expressive Arts Florida Institute (EAFI), where she now serves as a mentor, Dr. LaPorte has spent the past decade weaving expressive arts into spaces that need it most from classrooms to community centers, and from virtual spaces to in-person support groups.

Dr. LaPorte was a full-time faculty member at Barry University for many years before retiring in 2024. Her legacy at Barry, however, continues in full color. She remains connected to the university as an adjunct professor and continues to facilitate the beloved Self-Care Sundays Expressive Arts Group for students every week. Her dedication to student well-being through creative expression is a hallmark of her teaching and mentorship.

Currently a faculty member at the Florida Institute for Group Facilitation, Dr. LaPorte brings deep expertise to her roles as both educator and practitioner. Her work centers on intermodal expressive arts, an integrative approach that combines multiple forms of creative expression.

Over the years, she has led a wide variety of programs including:

• Bringing expressive arts into local schools, enriching student learning and social-emotional development
• Facilitating virtual self-care groups for adolescents through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami
• Leading expressive arts groups for LGBTQIA+ youth through the CSWI/IEATA partnership
• Conducting weekly expressive arts sessions for LGBTQIA+ seniors, fostering joy, resilience, and community

Looking ahead, Dr. LaPorte will begin mentoring youth practitioners in applying expressive arts within group facilitation for LGBTQIA+ youth drawing from the CSWI training model and adapting it to meet evolving community needs.

At the heart of her work is a spirit of presence, compassion, and a profound belief in the power of creative expression. As Dr. LaPorte reflects:

“Intermodal expressive arts continue to shape how I teach, lead, and facilitate. They make space not just for expression, but for presence, connection, and transformation.”

We celebrate Dr. LaPorte’s well-deserved recognition as an IEATA Rising Star and look forward to seeing the continued impact of her work in communities near and far.