What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It 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, self-awareness and achieve insight.
The American Art Therapy Association
Art therapists are master's level professionals who hold a degree in art therapy or a related field. Educational requirements include: theories of art therapy, counseling, and psychotherapy; ethics and standards of practice; assessment and evaluation; individual, group, and family techniques; human and creative development; multicultural issues; research methods; and practicum experiences in clinical, community, and/or other settings. Art therapists are skilled in the application of a variety of art modalities (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other media) for assessment and treatment.
Art therapy integrates the fields of human development, visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms), and the creative process with models of counseling and psychotherapy. Art therapy is used with children, adolescents, adults, older adults, groups, and families to assess and treat the following: anxiety, depression, and other mental and emotional problems and disorders; mental illness; substance abuse and other addictions; family and relationship issues; abuse and domestic violence; social and emotional difficulties related to disability and illness; trauma and loss; physical, cognitive, and neurological problems; and psychosocial difficulties related to medical illness.
Educational Requirements
The practice of Art Therapy requires a minimum of a Master's degree from an accredited art therapy graduate program; two years of post-graduate supervision resulting in the ATR credentials (Registered Art Therapist).
Because the educational requirements and post graduate training of art therapists is commensurate with social workers and professional counselors, Art Therapists are eligible to become Licensed Professional Counselors in many states, including Colorado.
One must complete the required core curriculum as outlined in the AATA Education Standards to qualify as a professional art therapist. Entry into the profession of art therapy is at the master's level. Graduate level art therapy programs include:
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ART THERAPY
How Did Art Therapy Begin?
Visual expression has been used for healing throughout history, but art
therapy did not emerge as a distinct profession until the 1940s. In the early
20th century, psychiatrists became interested in the artwork created by their
patients with mental illness. At around the same time, educators were
discovering that children's art expressions reflected developmental, emotional,
and cognitive growth. By mid-century, hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation
centers increasingly began to include art therapy programs along with
traditional "talk therapies," underscoring the recognition that the creative
process of art making enhanced recovery, health, and wellness. As a result, the
profession of art therapy grew into an effective and important method of
communication, assessment, and treatment with children and adults in a variety
of settings. Currently, the field of art therapy has gained attention in
health-care facilities throughout the United States and within psychiatry,
psychology, counseling, education, and the arts. For more detailed information
on the history of art therapy, please see AATA's publication list for A History
of Art Therapy in the United States.
Where Do Art Therapists Work?
Art therapists work in a wide variety of settings, including, but not
limited to, the following:
An art therapist may work as part of a 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 client's therapeutic goals and objectives. Other art
therapists work independently and maintain private practices with children,
adolescents, adults, groups, and/or families.
The American Art Therapy Association
Art therapists are master's level professionals who hold a degree in art therapy or a related field. Educational requirements include: theories of art therapy, counseling, and psychotherapy; ethics and standards of practice; assessment and evaluation; individual, group, and family techniques; human and creative development; multicultural issues; research methods; and practicum experiences in clinical, community, and/or other settings. Art therapists are skilled in the application of a variety of art modalities (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other media) for assessment and treatment.
Art therapy integrates the fields of human development, visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms), and the creative process with models of counseling and psychotherapy. Art therapy is used with children, adolescents, adults, older adults, groups, and families to assess and treat the following: anxiety, depression, and other mental and emotional problems and disorders; mental illness; substance abuse and other addictions; family and relationship issues; abuse and domestic violence; social and emotional difficulties related to disability and illness; trauma and loss; physical, cognitive, and neurological problems; and psychosocial difficulties related to medical illness.
Educational Requirements
The practice of Art Therapy requires a minimum of a Master's degree from an accredited art therapy graduate program; two years of post-graduate supervision resulting in the ATR credentials (Registered Art Therapist).
Because the educational requirements and post graduate training of art therapists is commensurate with social workers and professional counselors, Art Therapists are eligible to become Licensed Professional Counselors in many states, including Colorado.
One must complete the required core curriculum as outlined in the AATA Education Standards to qualify as a professional art therapist. Entry into the profession of art therapy is at the master's level. Graduate level art therapy programs include:
- Master's degree in art therapy.
- Master's degree with an emphasis in art therapy.
- Twenty-four (24) semester units in art therapy coursework with a Master's
degree in a related field. - Contact the AATA National Office for more information concerning current
educational requirements and programs.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ART THERAPY
How Did Art Therapy Begin?
Visual expression has been used for healing throughout history, but art
therapy did not emerge as a distinct profession until the 1940s. In the early
20th century, psychiatrists became interested in the artwork created by their
patients with mental illness. At around the same time, educators were
discovering that children's art expressions reflected developmental, emotional,
and cognitive growth. By mid-century, hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation
centers increasingly began to include art therapy programs along with
traditional "talk therapies," underscoring the recognition that the creative
process of art making enhanced recovery, health, and wellness. As a result, the
profession of art therapy grew into an effective and important method of
communication, assessment, and treatment with children and adults in a variety
of settings. Currently, the field of art therapy has gained attention in
health-care facilities throughout the United States and within psychiatry,
psychology, counseling, education, and the arts. For more detailed information
on the history of art therapy, please see AATA's publication list for A History
of Art Therapy in the United States.
Where Do Art Therapists Work?
Art therapists work in a wide variety of settings, including, but not
limited to, the following:
- Hospitals and clinics, both medical and psychiatric
- Out-patient mental health agencies and day treatment facilities
- Residential treatment centers
- Halfway houses
- Domestic violence and homeless shelters
- Community agencies and non-profit settings
- Sheltered workshops
- Schools, colleges, and universities
- Correctional facilities
- Elder care facilities
- Art studios
- Private practice
An art therapist may work as part of a 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 client's therapeutic goals and objectives. Other art
therapists work independently and maintain private practices with children,
adolescents, adults, groups, and/or families.
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