Art Therapist

Are you an artist passionate about helping others? Then art therapy might be the right career for you. Art therapists help clients express themselves through art in order to work through things like emotional conflict, anxiety, addiction, and trauma.

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Personal Connection

Becoming an art therapist is all about combining a passion for teaching and artistic expression with knowledge of psychology and human behavior. This unique career would be a good fit for someone who agrees with the following:

Are you passionate about art?
Do you want to use your passion for art to help others heal?
Do you care about working with people to make a difference in their lives?
Are you patient, understanding, and compassionate?
Do you find yourself making art when you’re stressed or overwhelmed?

Other Connections

If you’re passionate about art or helping others but you don’t see yourself as an art therapist, there are still many potential careers for you. One of the following professions might be a better fit:

Working in a school to support students academically and personally as a school counselor.

Helping clients develop healthy eating habits as a nutritionist.

Raising awareness about public health issues, such as those related to mental health, as a public health advocate.

Developing apps, devices, and software to help people access therapy at a technology company or virtual therapy organization.

Promoting access to creative art therapy as a nonprofit program manager.

Providing counseling services as a specialized therapist, such as an eating disorder therapist, child therapist, or marriage and family therapist.

STEM Connection

Technological developments are changing the landscape of art therapy and enabling even more people to access unique and effective services. Here are a few ways that new and emerging technologies are transforming art therapy:

Art therapy goes digital:

Digital art therapy involves using new technology to create art, such as digital collages, illustrations, photography, and even smartphone apps. The widespread access to digital technology means that more people than ever have advanced capabilities for creative expression and art therapists of the future must think about how to incorporate omnipresent digital technologies into their practice.

Creating art therapy technology for the elderly:

Art therapists who work with older clients often have certain problems, like a client who can’t hold a pen because of arthritis or another who needs extra large paper because of poor eyesight. Researchers are teaming up with art therapists to develop and integrate technology that can solve these problems, such as interactive art sharing frames, smart pens, and iPads.

Virtual reality offers immersive art therapy:

Virtual reality technology enables art therapists and clients to develop unique pieces that can better showcase the client’s headspace. For example, virtual reality allows for 3D paintings, sculptural elements that change size and color, and the ability to examine art from different perspectives. Read more about the benefits and disadvantages of virtual reality in art therapy here.

Art therapy? There’s an app for that:

Art therapists increasingly use smartphones, computers, and iPads to encourage clients to create art. Widely accessible art apps mean that anyone can get their creative juices flowing and art therapists who work with younger clients find that they are often more comfortable using these apps than a traditional pen and paper.

Journeys to Becoming an Art Therapist

Art therapy might seem like a difficult niche to enter, but in reality you can prepare yourself for a successful career in the field by studying art and psychology as early as high school.

Read about person’s experience as an art therapist:

When Amy Johnson Maricle was in high school, she knew that she wanted to pursue something related to psychology and the mind-body connection, but did not know exactly what that would look like. She enjoyed learning about other languages and cultures and first got her start in helping professions as a human rights activist.

She spent her free time doing her own art and inner exploration until she came across a book about art therapy. Once she read that book, her path forwards as an art therapist became clear. She went back to school for an MA in Expressive Therapies where she learned how to use her artistic experience to help others process their trauma.

Amy currently runs her own private practice where she works primarily with women and girls to overcome trauma and build self-esteem through art. She emphasizes that you don’t have to be creative to thrive in art therapy – it’s just about being willing to take risks and try new things.

Read about this woman’s journey to become an art therapist:

Cara Levitt has always been a self-described artist. When she visited an older friend who was pursuing a degree in art therapy, she was hooked. Cara followed in her friend’s footsteps and chose to study both psychology and fine art in college in order to best prepare herself for a career as an art therapist. After college, she attended a specialized graduate school in order to get her degree in art therapy.

Cara prefers art therapy because many clients who are uncomfortable sitting on a couch and talking through their trauma are able to process their feelings better via creative expression. Cara currently has a private practice where she uses art therapy to help clients overcome eating disorders and says that “making art can become a great coping strategy and a way for them to communicate with others/family members about what they are really feeling.”

Articles, Videos, Podcasts of Interest

Get all the information you need on the highest-rated art therapy degrees and certification programs:

A day-in-the-life of an art therapist is fascinating, fun, and of course creative! Watch this video about how one art therapist and content creator fills her days:

Check out this podcast that features a conversation between art therapists and discusses the power of creative therapy:

Watch this incredible TED talk about how art therapy helps veterans uncover their wounds and begin to heal:

Learn all about the job forecast of an art therapist, including typical degree levels and salary information, here:

Fun Facts

Some fun trivia about art therapy:

Master of their craft:

Art therapists must have a master’s degree and might also need other professional certifications in order to lead clients in art therapy without supervision.

It’s been around for decades:

Even though many people haven’t heard of art therapy, it’s been around for nearly 80 years! It was first coined as a term in the early 1940s.

It’s for everyone, not just artists:

Art therapy is designed to benefit everyone, from children to veterans. That means you don’t have to be good at art to benefit from art therapy!

Therapists aren’t mind readers:

Many people think that art therapists will be able to deduce a client’s secrets just by looking at their art. In reality, art therapists rely on conversations with a client about the meaning behind their artwork and don’t make assumptions just based on color choice or artistic subjects. Just like every client is unique the meaning behind any artistic choice is unique as well.

Coloring books – but for adults:

The coloring books popular for children are now being modified for adult audiences. Studies show that adults who regularly draw in coloring books show decreased anxiety and better stress management skills.

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