Art Therapists
Career Snapshot
When words alone are ineffective in helping a client deal with challenging emotions and memories, art therapists employ the creative process to help them break through. To express and process inner concerns, art therapy integrates psychotherapy with the visual and bodily experience of creating art. Art therapists organise and deliver art therapy sessions or programmes to clients in order to improve their physical, mental, or emotional well-being. They create projects to meet the demands of each client, such as drawing or making a collage about an experience or constructing a clay sculpture portraying a wish for the future. Art therapists encourage their clients to reflect on their work and investigate its meaning. Art therapists conduct assessments, document clients' progress, and collaborate with others on client cases. They are most commonly found in schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, and private practise. Art therapists who work for themselves typically have responsibilities such as billing clients and marketing their firm. To enter the field, you must have a master's degree in art therapy and be licenced. Some states only licence art therapists, whereas others licence counsellors and therapists who may also perform art therapy. Art therapists bring the tools and materials that can assist people give voice to their inner experience... even if they don't have the words to express it.