Career Blog Post: Art Therapist

The job I researched for this post was art therapy which essentially is a mental health profession that combines psychological theory with creative expression through art. It focuses on aiding those who have trouble with their words or struggle to verbalize their feelings and cope with trauma. Art therapists must assess needs of their patients, develop their treatment plans, facilitate the use of art mediums, document patients' progress, and maintain and overall safe and therapeutic environment. In order to become an art therapist, you must obtain a master's degree in art therapy that requires a certain amount of supervised hours and submitting professional references to verify capabilities. After achieving this, you may apply to become a registered art therapist through the Art Therapy Credentials Board. The best colleges for art therapy are Drexel University, New York University, Florida State University, and Syracuse University which all provide masters-level education that prepares students for certification and license. The top-ranked program for art therapy is at Drexel University which is known for its historical significance as it was the first graduate-level art therapy program in the world. Art therapists usually train for a master's degree in art therapy after an undergraduate degree in a related field like psychology or art.