Theresa Reardon Dewey
Lecturer
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Bio
Theresa Dewey, ATR, LCPC, is an artist and art therapist with 17 years of experience working in the fields of aging, intellectual disability care, and end-of-life care. She has served in various settings, including roles at a skilled nursing facility, Project Onward, CEW Design Studio, a residential facility for adults with intellectual disabilities, and private practice. She also shared a group home for young women with mild intellectual disabilities for 7 years.
Theresa currently works at the Alzheimer’s Association with individuals who have recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementias as well their families. She is passionate about ending stigma related to dementia and cognitive impairment, and advocating for dying well. She values art-making as a means for processing the experience of living with cognitive impairment.
Theresa is a graduate of the Master of Arts in Art Therapy program at SAIC and received a BA from Rhodes College. Her personal art practice is heavily fibers-based and includes puppet-making and puppetry performance, art dolls, soft sculpture, felting, and embroidery. Theresa founded Mr. Tanenbaum Puppets, a puppetry troupe that has performed at various venues, including the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and iO Theater.