What is Art Therapy?
Art Therapy is a human service profession in which a registered art therapist
uses her extensive training in both the fields of psychology and art to
facilitate the client’s use of art media, images, the creative art process, and
client responses to the art making as reflections of the client’s development,
interests, conflicts, concerns, personality, and abilities.
Art Therapy is based on knowledge of human development and psychological
theories that are used in assessment and treatment in educational,
psychodynamic, emotional, cognitive, and transpersonal settings.
Art Therapy fosters self-awareness, helps in development of social skills,
manages behavior, creatively problem solves, reduces anxiety, enhances memory
retention, promotes healthy aging, and increases self-esteem.
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People often ask: “What is the difference between what a Registered Art
Therapist offers to clients and what other professionals like mental health
counselors or social workers offer?”
That is a good question. In a nutshell it comes down to 3 things:
1) Education
2) Training
3) Accreditation
1) Education:
Art therapists are professionals trained in both studio art and psychology and
hold a master’s degree from a nationally approved graduate school or university
in Art Therapy.
2) Training:
Art therapists work with children, adolescents, and adults and provide services
to individuals, couples, families, groups, and communities. Using their
specialized training and psychological expertise with art materials, they offer
their clients a non verbal way in which to express themselves.
The wide scope of their professional art training combined with their extensive
knowledge of art materials and their appropriate applications, allows them to
work in clinical settings that include: mental health, rehabilitation, medical
and forensic institutions; community outreach programs; wellness centers;
schools, colleges and universities; nursing homes; businesses and corporations,
art studios; and independent practices.
Drawing from their wide array of psychological training and expertise, as well
as, art modalities, art therapists are both knowledgeable and skilled in the
approaches and applications of a variety of art media. Through drawing,
painting, clay, fibers, sand tray, oil pastels, etc., the art therapist offers
treatment and assessment, conducts research, and provides consultations to
allied professionals.
The training and thousands of hours of direct art therapy clinical experience is
unavailable in any other field.
3) Accreditation:
After graduate school and 2000 hours of art therapy supervision, the Art
Therapist must have a minimum of 1000 additional art therapy supervised client
hours working with clients before they are eligible to become a registered art
therapist. A national accreditation board
(www.arttherapycredentialingboard.org) approves the registration and board
certification of art therapists.
Imagine if you, your child or loved one had an injury or illness in which you
weren’t certain what was wrong. If the only people available to you were a
person with a basic 6-week Red Cross training certificate and an RN, (Registered
Nurse), which one would you choose?
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