Art therapy is a great career choice for those who want to combine art making and psychology. For those unfamiliar with this field, Art Therapy is “a mental health profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship” (American Art Therapy Association). This unique process of therapy helps clients with their self-discovery, emotions, and social skills. But how do you become an art therapist? The process of becoming an art therapist is long but rewarding one, and varies slightly from state-to-state. 

Steps to becoming an art therapist

1. Complete an undergraduate program, followed by a master’s in art therapy- a master’s degree is required to enter this field.
   1. Marywood University is a CAAHEP-accredited program, which means it went through “a rigorous review process, which ensures their resources, curriculum, faculty, and policies will meet your learning needs and prepare you for future board certification” (American Art Therapy Association).
2. Go through supervisions- Provisional Registered Art Therapist (ATR-P)
   1. Art therapists in training are required to complete and practice a certain amount of hours under the supervision of a Board-Certified Supervisor.
3. Become a Registered Art Therapist (ATR)– required to practice
   1. “Individuals who meet established standards, with successful completion of advanced specific graduate-level education in art therapy and supervised, post-graduate art therapy experience” (American Art Therapy Association).
4. Complete Board Certification (ATR-BC)
   1. “Individuals who complete the highest-level art therapy credential by passing a national examination, demonstrating comprehensive knowledge of the theories and clinical skills used in art therapy” (American Art Therapy Association).
5. Optional: Art Therapy Certified Supervisor (ATCS)
   1. Supervising art therapists in training
6. Licensure
   1. Art Therapy licensure varies by state. In Pennsylvania, Art Therapy is a related field under a Professional Counselor License.
   2. For more information on the criteria for other states, visit https://arttherapy.org/credentials-and-licensure/

After going through the process of becoming an Art Therapist, the doors are open for an opportunity to work in many different settings with diverse groups of people. Some of these settings include hospitals, cancer treatment centers, psychiatric facilities, community and rehabilitation centers, schools, prisons and jails, nursing homes, hospice care facilities, and even private practices (American Art Therapy Association).  In art therapy, the interpretation of the client’s artwork would be linked to the specific goals of the therapy session.

Resources:

American Art Therapy Association. (2024, September 19). https://arttherapy.org/