Art therapy is an established mental health profession that uses the artistic process of art making to better and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of people at all ages.

Information technology is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness and achieve insight.

Art therapy integrates the fields of human development, visual arts and the creative procedure with models of counseling and psychotherapy. Art therapy is used with children, adolescents, adults, older adults, groups and families to assess and care for:

  • Anxiety, depression and other mental/emotional problems
  • Mental illness
  • Substance corruption and other addictions
  • Family and relationship issues
  • Corruption and domestic violence
  • Social/emotional difficulties related to disability or illness
  • Personal trauma, mail service-traumatic stress disorder and loss
  • Concrete, cognitive and neurological problems
  • Psychosocial difficulties related to medical affliction

Some fine art therapists work equally office of a health care team that includes physicians, psychologists, nurses, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, rehabilitation counselors, social workers and teachers. Together, they determine and implement a customer's therapeutic goals and objectives. Other art therapists piece of work independently and maintain private practices with children, adolescents, adults, groups and/or families.

If you're considering this career, keep in heed that an art therapist needs certain personal qualities – such equally sensitivity, empathy, emotional stability, patience, interpersonal skills, insight into human being behavior and an agreement of artistic media. An art therapist must be an circumspect listener and a keen observer. Flexibility and a sense of humour are also invaluable.

Working Conditions

Art therapists work in a wide variety of settings including:

  • Hospitals and clinics, both medical and psychiatric
  • Outpatient mental health agencies and twenty-four hours treatment facilities
  • Residential treatment centers
  • Halfway houses
  • Domestic violence and homeless shelters
  • Community agencies and nonprofit settings
  • Sheltered workshops
  • Schools, colleges and universities
  • Correctional facilities
  • Elderberry intendance facilities
  • Art studios
  • Private do

Salary Range and Outlook

Salaries for art therapists vary widely, according to a 2009 survey conducted by the American Medical Association. Salaries for those only outset in the career are mostly around $xxx,000 to $40,000 while those with experience may earn salaries over $100,000. Go along in mind that salaries will vary considerably, depending on experience, location and type of practice.

Academic Requirements

Art therapists must accept a chief's caste in art therapy or counseling or a related field with an emphasis in art therapy and must complete the required core curriculum as outlined in the American Art Therapy Association's (AATA) instruction standards.

AATA-canonical fine art therapy programs generally consist of 48 to threescore semester credits (or approximately eighteen months to ii years of total-time education). The typical curriculum includes:

  • History and theory of art therapy
  • Techniques or practise in art therapy
  • Application of art therapy with people in unlike treatment settings
  • Understanding of group art therapy and counseling methods and skills
  • Ethical and legal issues of art therapy exercise
  • Art therapy assessment
  • Standards of practice in art therapy
  • Cultural and social diverseness
  • Thesis or culminating project

In add-on, each art therapy student must consummate a practicum or internship, involving a minimum of 700 hours of supervised fine art therapy practice, at least one-half of which must be spent working direct with patients in individual, group or family unit formats.  In that location also are opportunities for specialization (i.e., specific patient historic period groups, exercise settings and types of intervention).

Subsequently receiving a master's degree in fine art therapy, accumulating the required number of supervised hours and submitting professional references attesting to your competency, you lot may apply to become a registered art therapist (ATR) through the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB).  After being granted the ATR, you lot and so can sit for the board certification (ATR-BC) test. The exam is offered once a yr at various locations throughout the United states of america.

Learn More Almost a Career every bit an Art Therapist

  • Take a look at the "For Students" section of the American Art Therapy Association's website.

Resource

  • American Art Therapy Association
  • Fine art Therapy Credentials Board

The American Art Therapy Clan reviewed this career profile.