Kate Testa works at the intersection of art education and art therapy. She sees children and adolescents in grades preK–12 and has a particular focus on neurodiverse young people, including those on the autism spectrum, English language learners, and students with learning or physical disabilities. Through creative expression, she helps young people and adults work through difficult emotions, build self-esteem, and find a way to communicate when words alone are not enough.
Kate began her career as a scenic artist in the theater industry before turning to work with children. She earned a master’s degree in Art and Design Education from the Pratt Institute and taught middle school art for four years in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Her commitment to her special education students led her to pursue clinical training.
She completed training in the Art Therapy program at New York University, with clinical experience at the New York City Children’s Center, the Chemical Dependency Outpatient Program at Bellevue Hospital, and the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Kate considers herself both an educator and a therapist, and she draws on both fields in her work with families at PPG.
Outside the office, she makes art, watches cartoons, spends time with her husband and her cat, and roots for the Philadelphia Phillies.