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Is an MA in Art Therapy Right for Me?

Here’s a question from a reader, posted with her consent:

Liz,

I, like a few of your readers, came across your blog as I was searching for guidance on whether or not to return to school to study art therapy. I graduated from UC Irvine in 2009 in Arts and Humanities, but I mostly practice photography, mixed media, and 3-d arts. Some of the programs I have researched will require me to take a few classes in more figurative modes of art, as well as psychology (both I am glad to do, and would probably have done anyway, as I really enjoy school), but which would also require that I figure out what I want sooner than later.

I have been interested in art therapy for a few years now, but am also interested in studying non-profit administration. My main concern about going back to school, is investing time and money into a degree in art therapy and then being limited to being an art therapist because of that degree. Have you found this to be a problem for you or any fellow colleagues?

I would love to shadow an art therapist to get a closer view of if I can handle being an art therapist, but I am not licensed, so I am not really sure who would accept me.

Any information or advice you can provide me with would be infinitely helpful. Thanks!

Shannon

Hi Shannon,

Art therapy programs will certainly require certain psyc credits, and sometimes they’re specific about what types of art courses they’d like under your belt (you will need at least 3 formal art courses beyond what you do on your spare time). Some schools will ask you to bring a portfolio to the applicant interview. In terms of picking a school, definitely go to open houses and meet the program directors and teachers. It’ll help you get a better idea re: whether you’re a good fit for the school/program, and help make clear what prerequisites you’ll indeed need to focus on.

I’m not sure what non profit administration entails, but it seems like it maybe something you can learn with on-the-job experience? Art therapists can become a program director or clinical director of a non-profit after a certain amount of experience and licenses obtained. It seems that you’d need to think about what role you’d like to play within a non-profit organization, and research people with those job titles. You may find they have a psyc or medical background.

With an art therapy degree you can become limited in what jobs you qualify for. However, if you make sure you go to a program that not only fits the criteria for you to get an ATR (registered art therapist), but also a state license, such as LPCC, MFT or LCSW, your options will be more plentiful. Also, you should know that it takes several years of post-graduate work in order to obtain the hours to qualify for these licenses (so you won’t have them straight out of school).

Another option would be to get an MA in social work with an emphasis on non-profit work (ie: grant writing) and then do a post-masters certificate in art therapy. However, there are only a few schools that offer a post-masters certificate. Notre Dame de Namur in the Bay Area has this option.

In terms of volunteering, you can try emailing your local chapter of AATA (either NorCATA or SocalATA) and ask them if they know of any opportunities. You can also try to find community organizations that offer art groups to vulnerable populations. These groups most likely will be offered by artists who have a knack for working with the physically or mentally ill, but some maybe free groups offered by art therapists. Either way, it should help you get your toes into a world similar to art therapy.

I hope this helps!

Regards,
– Liz

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Techno-Art Therapy Education

Hi Liz,

Found your art therapy blog and your willingness to answer questions has encouraged me to ask one! I’m an artist looking at a career in art therapy, my work is in multimedia – sound art, video, technology and interactivity. If you know of any courses or institutions that have a leaning in this direction, or any relevant resources or communities you could point me towards that would be fantastic!

Thanks, Dan.

Hi Daniel,

In my experience, any art therapy program would embrace multimedia art making. However, when it comes to in-class assignments and experientials, you may encounter that the only supplies available are “traditional” ones (paint, clay, markers, colored pencils, etc…) That being said, unless the experiential involves teaching you something specific about traditional media use in the art therapy session, there is no reason that you couldn’t bring in your laptop and create artwork on it, right there in class.

At this point, the art therapy community is standing on the edge of truly accepting technology within its teaching and practice. I doubt you will find any art therapy schools that offer a digital art therapy class. Also, I would expect that due to budget concerns, you may not have access to the technology that you want and need in your internships. But—you can find ways to begin integrating your artistic expertise…it all depends on your resourcefulness and creativity! From the sound of it, I’m sure you have an abundance of both :)

In my opinion, we need more art therapists who have knowledge of new media and technology in the field. So if you came to my program, I would first encourage you to learn the basics of art therapy (with traditional media) and then begin exploring the “how to” and the “benefits of” integrating technology within the therapeutic milieu. My advice is that when you’re checking out schools in your area, openly ask questions about the attitude of the school/professors regarding the use of technology within your art therapy studies and practicums. Through open dialogue you should be able to find the schools that resonate best with you.

Warm Regards,
– Liz

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Nigeria—The Importance of Art Education

Taken from the Nigerian paper, The Compass, Kent Onah observes that teaching children a curriculum that excludes art does them (and by default the nation) a great disservice. Without creativity, innovation will not take place.

“…The polymer scientists needs some artistic knowledge to be able to come up with good polymeric innovations. The industrial designer must basically be an artist first if he/she can create useful and attractive products. The food technologist must first have a basic knowledge of art to perform effectively. The psychoanalyst or psychiatrist can not treat effectively all the time without employing art therapy.

As mentioned earlier, the medical doctors and surgeons depend on artistic illustrations to treat and to teach.

The environmental designers must basically be talented artists. The list is endless. The active presence of art in the curriculum will help the child to communicate better by exposing him/her to other outlets of communication beyond his/her mother tongue and verbal communication.

The creative process involved in the teaching or production of art helps to break the monotony in the study of other courses. As art is activity based, it adds variance to the teaching and learning process, thereby breaking boredom and encouraging more assimilation and better understanding. Art develops and improves the imaginative power of a child as well as encourage him/her to observe greater details in appreciating his/her culture and environment.

The inclusion of art studies in the school curriculum will help to discover as ‘well as treat or proffer solution to a child with psychological problem at its earliest stage. It will encourage resourcefulness among our youths and empower them toward self- reliance. It will expose the child to the endless potentials of art as a humanizing experience.

Above all, it will reawaken an interest in the visual arts which is the basic ingredient on which science and technology rely for their ultimate success…”

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Asthma and Art Therapy

May’s online issue of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology included a study that demonstrated the effectiveness of art therapy with pediatric asthma patients.

“In art therapy, patients create artwork that helps express their feelings about an illness, a trauma or medical concerns. The artwork can then serve as a starting point for discussions about these issues. Researchers believe that creating art helps participants establish distance between themselves and their medical concerns. They learn to understand that they have a personal identity outside of their illness. It is believed to be particularly effective with children because they often do not have the adult capabilities to verbally articulate their emotions, perceptions, or beliefs, and often can more comfortably convey ideas in ways other than talking.”


Science Daily

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Art Therapy and Technology: Ethical Considerations

Just a few hours ago I received an e-survey from the AATA ethics committee. I was pleased to see that a portion of the survey asks whether posting client photographs or videos can be done in an ethical (or unethical) manner.

About a year ago Cathy Malchiodi wrote an excellent article on the subject, and the comments on her blog helped to further the debate. I also discussed my opinions on the matter in a series of posts that can be viewed here, here, here and here.

One of the main points in my analysis: AATA’s ethical codes are determined by what the majority of art therapists who are AATA members think is ethical. So, fellow art therapists, fill out the survey! Even if you feel you don’t have an opinion or a good understanding of the subject—that’s all information for the ethics committee to process, and hopefully provide more education about.

Lastly, ex-AATA president, Pegg Dunn Snow, informed me that the ethics commitee would be meeting during the 2009 conference to discuss the ethical considerations of art therapy and technology—essentially addressing her example of “what not to do” when you’re advertising your art therapy practice. The advice given by the AATA ethics committee parallels my analysis, and hopefully will serve as a compass until more specific guidelines are provided.