Art Therapist Qualifications
Art therapists work in a wide range of medical and mental health care settings, using creative and visual arts to support the overall quality of a patient's life. This may include stress reduction, self-expression, anxiety reduction, and even recovery from serious illness. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, all recreation therapy fields, including art therapy, are expected to grow by approximately 15% between the years 2008 and 2018.
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Education
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According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapists must have at least a master's degree from a university approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Additionally, the specific degree must be in an "art therapy" major including either Art Therapy and/or Counseling with an emphasis in art therapy. Students entering a master's program should have already completed 18 or more credit hours in studio arts and 12 or more semester credit hours in abnormal and developmental psychology. Degree program curriculum is dictated by the professional standards espoused by the American Art Therapy Association. Content areas for a master's degree in art therapy must include 24 credits of art therapy classes taught by a registered art therapist. This can be broken down into sub-categories such as the history of the profession, art therapy theory and philosophy, psychotherapy as it relates to art therapy, techniques/practice, art therapy in different populations and settings--e.g., children, adults, outpatient clinics, or aftercare--group therapy, assessment, ethics and legal applications, accepted standards for professional practice, and culture/society. Other related coursework must be taken in pyschopathology, human development, theories of counseling, research, and studio arts.
Practical Experience
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Individuals interested in pursuing a career in art therapy must complete the requisite amount of practicum or internship hours. The American Art Therapy Association requires certified therapists to complete at least 100 clock hours of supervised pre-internship practicum. This must include the observation of a certified professional art therapist in a medical/health care setting. Additionally, art therapist candidates must complete a 600-clock-hour internship. Internship hours must include 300 hours in direct patient care. Although this is the minimum number of required hours, the American Art Therapy Association recommends completing a total of 900 clock hours of internship during graduate study. This will help the art therapy student develop skills in evaluation, treatment, and professional practice.
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Licensure and Registration
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The Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) licenses art therapists to practice in U.S. health and mental health care settings.There are multiple levels of certification available. Therapists can earn a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) credential through graduate degree education, i.e., an approved art therapy program with at least 24 credits in art therapy, practicum/internship hours, and an additional amount of post-school practice hours. The total number of internship/practice hours must total 1,500 clock hours. Registered art therapists may elect to become ATCB certified. The ATR-BC (board certified) designation requirements include a valid ATR and a passing score on the ATCB professional examination. Board-certified art therapists may elect to continue on to an additional supervisory certification. Requirements for this advanced leadership designation include an ATR-BC, three semester credit hours in clinical supervision at the graduate level or 35 hours of continuing education and 100 hours of clinical supervision experience, or 500 hours over 36 months of clinical supervisor experience.
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References
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