Dr. Martina E. Efodzi,
ATR-BC, LCPAT, LCPC, LPC
Founder & Art Psychotherapist
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I am a Board-Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapist, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland, and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Washington, DC. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Divinity in religious studies from Howard University in 2002 and 2007, respectively. From as far back as I can remember, art has always been my secret getaway—my spiritual retreat. Any attempt I’ve ever made to suppress my love for it has always left me feeling empty and frustrated. When I finally gave in and rounded the bend along my circuitous journey back to art, I understood, as did Pablo Picasso, that “Art washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life.” Thus, to gain further insight into its therapeutic potential, I pursued and attained a Master of Arts in art therapy from George Washington University in 2011. Ultimately, I sought to consolidate my prior learnings by pursuing doctoral work in pastoral care. I graduated with a Doctor of Ministry in Soul Care from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2024.
As an ordained Deacon in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, I currently serve in an appointment beyond the local church as a full-time psychotherapist. Before that, for ten and half years, I served at a community-based health center where I specialized in providing culturally sensitive care to marginalized groups, specifically those living with HIV and members of the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to my agency and private practice work, I have facilitated countless expressive arts workshops for individuals of all ages and abilities with various schools, government agencies, community organizations, universities, and churches.
Maintaining a solid artist identity is essential to my work as an artist-therapist. My last exhibition, “Honoring the Past, Educating the Present, and Inspiring the Future,” was featured at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Black History Month Art Show in 2017. My essay, “Art Therapist? Yes. Minister? That, Too! Ethical Issues That Arise When One Has Dual Roles,” was published in the 2019 art therapy textbook, Exploring Ethical Dilemmas in Art Therapy: 50 Clinicians From 20 Countries Share Their Stories. Since 2020, I have served as an adjunct faculty member with the Department of Art Therapy at George Washington University and have taught courses in Counseling and Art Therapy Process, Cultural Diversity, and Spirituality and Art Therapy.