The Healing Arts

This article made excellent timing in a very interesting field. I have just applied to the Master's program at Concordia in art therapy and will consult your articles... Thank you!

Hi Julia,

Thanks for writing. I hope to be able to give a fair portrayal of the good, the bad, and the "challenging" about getting a degree in art therapy. There is a lot of unverified, written-by-lay people/bloggers information on art therapy, confusing potential students and professionals alike. There are success stories in art therapy and there are stories of "woulda, coulda, shoulda" in terms of education, money invested, and credentials needed.

Canada in particular is difficult to portray because you have so many different types of educational programs in the provinces, each doing slightly different things in terms of approach and outcome. I will try my best to be helpful and accurate-- and point out the accurate and professional sources of information to take a look at in your quest.

Best wishes,

Cathy

I admire your initiative to undertake this task. I agree with you, there is a lot of confusion in the field regarding credentialing (art Therapy alone or in addition to counseling or social work, etc.) and pros and cons to the various combinations, beneficial professional associations belong to, variations in post graduate hours required for ATR credentialing between AATA approved colleges and those who are not as yet been approved, variations in all credentialing and licensing between our own states, in addition to other countries, all make this a huge undertaking. Thanks for being concerned and passionate enough about this field to help to clarify this for those that are looking to use art is this way.

Blessings,
Diane M. McKnight

Hi Diane,

What I am learning most is that in the US, "art therapist" has not been adequately advocated for, protected through title, and/or clearly defined. In the UK, there is a much different situation -- and advocacy-- that has helped to define a profession. In the US, students enter educational programs that propose to transform them into people who can obtain "art therapist" jobs; but that is not really what happens at the other end. I think going into this field is still a very worthy aspiration, but it is time for some truth-telling about how it is being portrayed and what the realities of the workplace entail. It's the good, the bad, and the "challenging" I am trying to summarize!

Kind regards,

Cathy

Thanks for embarking on this series. As a future grad school student looking into various art therapy programs this is extremely helpful!

I´ve just discovered your website and I really love it! As a mexican it was difficult to me to understand what art therapy is because it simply doesn´t exist where I live, however I looked for a place to study or an on-line course as a guide to start, and found it in Mexico City, this course is recognized by UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) which is one of the most important universities nationwide.
There isn´t a masters to study in Mexico and the profesion is not recognized yet. People I´ve told about Art Therapy associate the name with other therapies like music therapy, yoga, reiki, etc. In my opinion Art Therapy has a long way to walk before being taken as a healing alternative for people.
Could you tell me names, websites or whatever useful information about art therapy in Mexico? I personally want to become a good and professional therapist!!

Dear Cathy,
Thank you for your article and the information on becoming an art therapist. I am currently a first year art therapy student at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. I have to be honest that I am increasingly frustrated by the lack of knowledge of our field. I have also heard from recent graduates from some of the New York schools that only 5% of the class have gained employment since graduating in May. This is a staggering statistic, which only adds to my anxiety about being successful in the field. Do you have any advice as to how to succeed in the field, and any workshops I can attend to further my knowledge of art therapy?
Thank you.
Becca Leitman