Month: October 2009

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Finding an Art Therapist



Periodically, I receive emails or comments asking if I can recommend an Art Therapist for a family member or friend, or if I accept private clients.

Since I am currently unlicensed in the state of California, I have made the decision not accept private clients. The LPCC (licensed professional clinical counselor) bill has passed, and I expect that to be licensed sometime in 2011. I am excited about the prospect of having a private practice, and will let you all know when it does happen.

Here are my suggestions on how to find an Art Therapist in your area:

  • Search for an Art Therapist by credential, state and country through the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB). Please take in mind that the credentials listed on the ATCB website are for the license of ATR (registered art therapist) or ATR-BC (board certified art therapist), which applies to the United States. While there are some ATRs in other countries, Canada especially, you may find little information if your search terms are for outside the USA.
  • Most local Art Therapy Association chapters have a list of private practice therapists in the area. Find your local art therapy chapter in the USA here. To find an art therapy chapter in an area outside the USA, either do a google search (see below) or check the website of your national art therapy association.
  • Google search the terms “art therapist” and your local area, such as “art therapist and Bay Area”.
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    Volunteer with an Art Therapist



    Here’s a question posted originally posted on my contact page;

    Hello, my name is Jenie Hooper and I am a current student at Georgia Southern University. I graduate in December with my Bachelors in Psychology and I also have a Associates Degree of Art. I’m very interested in becoming an Art Therapist. However I’m having trouble finding a place where I can volunteer to gain some experience before going to graduate school to become an Art Therapist.

    I wish the AATA website, which has been recently updated and is soooo much better than before, had a section for people interested in volunteering with art therapists. Since they don’t, here are my suggestions (and if anyone else would care to add some, please do).

  • Email your local Art Therapy Association chapter, letting them know that you want to volunteer and whether they can send out a mass email to all their members, asking for anyone interested to contact you.
  • Join LinkedIn and become a member of the various art therapy groups that have popped up. Post your request on the LinkedIn group(s) of your choice.
  • Contact the Director of the Art Therapy Masters level program in your area. Perhaps he/she will be able to put you in contact with a colleague or know of more resources in your area
  • Join an art therapy group on Facebook. You can post your question there. Similar to LinkedIn, most art therapy groups on fb are global in nature, making it less likely that someone in your community would see your question and respond.

    • Good luck in your search, Jenie!

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    Fusion E-Zine

    Gretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC and Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., LPCC, LCAT, ATR-BC have come together to create the first edition of FUSION, and e-zine.

    Here’s most of the introductory letter sent via email by both co-founders to explain the zine;

    There’s a “fusion” going on! In cooking, it’s a style of blending ingredients and techniques from different cultures; in music, it’s a blend of jazz and the repetitive rhythms of rock; and in life, it’s the result of creative mixing of ideas, qualities, and perspectives. In all cases, it includes a release of energy and the birth of something new. It’s time for FUSION, an e-zine especially for Planet Art Therapy inspired by members and work of the Art Therapy Alliance and International Art Therapy Organization [IATO], as well as a voice for news, stories, and the art therapy community worldwide!

    The Art Therapy Alliance published two volumes and six issues throughout 2008 and 2009 when the Alliance was founded and started to grow. During 2009, the Art Therapy Alliance partnered with IATO to support its mission, values, and vision. The concept of merging our efforts to publish this e-zine for both communities was developed from our common commitment and outlook to provide quality resources and a sustainable connection for art therapists everywhere.

    Our 18 page issue includes news, art and feature stories from all over the globe, as well as partnerships, special projects, and events taking place worldwide.

    Best wishes,

    Gretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC
    Founder, Art Therapy Alliance

    Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., LPCC, LCAT, ATR-BC
    Founder, International Art Therapy Organization

    To recieve regular updates from the Art Therapy Alliance and the International Art Therapy Alliance, become members of the groups through their respective websites or through linkedin and facebook.

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    Hiatus

    You may have noticed I have not been posting lately. I recently got married (yay!) and things have been quite busy, as one may imagine. I’ll be back on track within the next week…have lots of ideas, but no time to dedicate to posting them.

    Speak to you soon!

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    It’s official!

    A portion of today’s email from NorCATA’s secretgarden:

    CALIFORNIA’S GOVERNOR SIGNS the COUNSELOR LICENSURE BILL!
    SB 788 BECOMES LAW IN CALIFORNIA

    After seven years and three bills, CCCL is proud to announce that its third bill has been approved by California’s Legislature and signed into law by its Governor. This would not have been possible without the dedicated counselors and graduate students throughout the state, and the state and national organizations that support professional counseling.

    IMPLEMENTATION DATES

    January 1, 2010: The bill becomes law and the Board of Behavioral Sciences then has the responsibility for developing the rules and regulations to implement the bill and it will gear up to accept LPCC applications.

    January 1, 2011: Applications for grandparenting and reciprocity will be available through the Board of Behavioral Sciences. These requirements are posted now on CCCL’s website, caccl.org, under Licensure Requirements.

    January 1, 2012: Applications for regular licensure will be available for those not eligible for grandparenting or reciprocity. These requirements are posted now on CCCL’s website, caccl.org, under Licensure Requirements.

    CCCL will continually update its website, as information becomes available on providers of required coursework, and administration of required examinations.