Monika Wigger

Prof. Monika Wigger is a Professor of Aesthetics and Communication at the University of Freiburg and Director of the MA Art Therapy Study Program. She holds a doctorate from the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen (2014). Her career spans over three decades in clinical art therapy, education, and research. She has held roles at Münster University Hospital (1985-2016), Münster University of Applied Sciences (1991-1996), and the Sigmund Freud University (2013-2018). Her work focuses on art therapy in psychiatry, pediatric chronic illnesses, and oncology.

Education highlights include:

• Designer degree from University of Applied Sciences Münster (1982)
• Art therapy certification from Berlin University of the Arts (1984)
• Psychotherapy training (2003)
• PhD in Medical Sciences (2014)

Research priorities include:

• Art therapy in open studio environments
• Support for brain tumor patients via the Art Coping project
• Museum collaborations (e.g., Pablo Picasso Museum, Münster)

Her projects emphasize:

• Art therapy for refugee populations through Refugium Freiburg
• Photography-based interventions for aphasia
• Nature-integrated therapeutic approaches

Publications span 1993–2020, focusing on art therapy methodologies, oncological care, and museum pedagogy. She actively contributes to professional organizations like the German IGKGT section.