Art Therapy School: Art Therapist Career Snapshot
Should You Go to Art Therapy School?
Art therapy school will prepare you to assess, diagnose and treat patients by engaging them in creative projects. Whether drawing and painting, making a clay sculpture, or stringing beads into a necklace, not only does making art improve people's physical, mental and emotional states, it can help them communicate things they may not be willing or able to verbalize. As an art therapist, you'll use the process of making art to help your patients express themselves, achieve insight, resolve conflicts, gain confidence, and find physical and mental healing.
Who Art Therapists Help
Your art therapy school training will allow you to work with diverse populations. You patients might include:
- People suffering from a range of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, etc.
- Children with behavioral issues
- Drug and alcohol addicts
- People with eating disorders
- Victims of abuse
- People who have experienced significant trauma
- People with psychological issues related to neurological difficulties or physical illness
Where Art Therapists Work
After graduating from art therapy school, you'll be able to work in a wide variety of settings. Here are some of your employment options:
- Private practice
- Hospitals and clinics
- Community agencies
- Rehabilitation centers
- Shelters for victims of abuse
- Halfway houses
- Wellness centers
- Senior centers and nursing homes
Art Therapist School: Education Requirements
In order to become an art therapist, you'll need to earn a master's degree from an accredited art therapy school. (Doctoral programs are available, but far less common.)
Art Therapy School Admissions Requirements
Most master's programs in art therapy will require you to have completed an undergraduate degree that includes four to six classes in studio arts such as drawing, painting and sculpting as well as three or four courses in psychology.
What You'll Study in Art Therapy School
According to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), course work for a master's degree in art therapy must include:
- History and theory of art therapy
- Techniques of practice in art therapy
- Application of art therapy with people in different treatment settings
- Group work
- Art therapy assessment
- Ethical and legal issues of art therapy practice
- Standards of practice in art therapy
- Cultural and social diversity
- Psychopathology
- Human growth and development
- Counseling and psychological theories
- Research
- Studio art
- Thesis or culminating project
In addition to this course work, students must complete a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship.
Completing Art Therapy School
Most full-time master's degree programs in art therapy take two years to complete. If you choose to attend art therapy school part-time, your degree might take anywhere from three to five years to complete.
Next Steps After Art Therapy School: Certification/Licensing
The Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) is responsible for certifying art therapists. The two levels of certification offered by the ATCB are:
- Registration (ATR) – After you graduate from an AATA-approved program and complete 1,000 "client contact" hours, you can apply to become a Registered Art Therapist.
- Board Certification (ATR-BC) – Registered art therapists can take a voluntary exam offered by the ATCB in order to become "board certified." To maintain board certification, you must take 100 hours of continuing education and pass the exam again every five years.
State Licensure
In addition to being registered and/or certified by the ATCB, some states require art therapists to hold a separate state license in order to practice. Check with your state's chapter of the American Art Therapy Association to learn more about your local licensing requirements.
Art Therapy Salaries
As with any job, your art therapy salary will vary widely depending on where you live, your particular employer, and your level of experience. According to PayScale.com, median art therapist salaries based on experience level are as follows:
- Less than one year: $29,163 to $32,556
- 1-4 years: $31,595 to $43,078
- 5-9 years: $35,262 to $48,651
- 10-19 years: $39,508 to $44,586
- 20 years or more: $33,000 to $77,500
Art Therapy Career Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for "recreational therapists," including art therapists, is likely to remain strong, with available jobs increasing by about four percent between 2006 and 2016.
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