Art Therapy

QUALIFICATIONS

Art therapists must earn a Master's degree in an approved art therapy program. Graduate coursework includes:

•  the creative process,
• psychological development,
• group therapy,
• art therapy assessment,
• psychodiagnostics,
• research methods, and
• multicultural competency development and cultural humility. 

Part of their training includes a minimum of 700 clinical hours earned during practicum placements and a clinical internship. After completing these requirements, they are then eligible to sit for the certification exam to become a board-certified art therapist (ATR-BC). Kentucky requires that art therapists are licensed to practice in our state (LPATA or LPAT). Art therapists are able to bill for medicaid reimbursement in Kentucky.

WHERE DO ART THERAPISTS WORK?

Art therapists can be found in an array of different settings around the United States and in the world. Art therapists are commonly found in nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, psychiatric settings, public schools, private practice, community centers, schools for adults with disabilities, homeless or women shelters, correctional facilities, and residential treatment centers. Art Therapists can be employed where there is a need for therapeutic services. 

WHY DOES ART THERAPY WORK?

Art therapy provides an opportunity to:

• creatively observe and solve an issue or problem
•  identify an emotion or feeling visually
•  provide reflection on what can assist each person in their goals in therapy.

Art therapy also provides an outlet for the inner self to be explored and often can be beneficial when trying to cope with individual, familial, societal, and environmental issues. Art therapy allows the individual to play, explore, and create which allows the body and mind comfort when working through trauma, illness, or a mental health diagnoses.