What is Art Therapy?

Art Therapy is a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem, self-awareness, and achieve insight.

Art Therapy has a cultural continuity similar to traditional Native healing practices and therefore is a culturally relevant and ethnocentric healing modality.

The American Art Therapy Association

Art Therapy integrates the fields of human development, visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other visual art forms), and the creative process with models of counseling and psychotherapy. Art Therapy is used with children, adolescents, adults, older adults, groups, and families to assess and treat the following: anxiety, depression, and other mental and emotional problems and disorders; mental illness; substance abuse and other addictions; family and relationship issues; abuse and domestic violence; social and emotional difficulties related to disability and illness; trauma and loss; physical, cognitive, and neurological problems; and psychosocial difficulties related to medical illness.

History of Art Therapy

Art Therapists, artists, therapists, and healers have been practicing community healing that integrates art mediums and practices throughout history.

“Creative and artistic expression has historically and simultaneously evolved as a part of human civilizations around the world (Dutton, 2010). Many scholars assert that art-making is an integral part of human functioning and would not have evolved or been a sustained part of human existence if it did not serve a significant adaptive purpose (Dutton, 2010; Davies, 2012; Kaimal, 2019). While the western world’s recognition of the therapeutic benefits of the arts is more recent, Indigenous societies have acknowledged the healing power of visual art, dance, music, drama, and storytelling for millennia. Indigenous knowledge (Chilisa, 2012; Pascoe, 2015) highlights the importance of traditional wisdom and insight, including the close interaction of artistic practice with natural materials, creative agency, and contemplative and spiritual meaning-making (Franklin, 2017) while recognizing our interconnectedness with other living beings in nature (Pascoe, 2015; Nagarajan, 2018).”- Girija Kaimal and Asli Arslanbek, 2020

Visual expression has been used for healing throughout history, but Art Therapy did not emerge as a distinct profession until the 1940s. In the early 20th century, psychiatrists became interested in the art work created by their patients with mental illness. At around the same time, educators were discovering that children's art expressions reflected developmental, emotional, and cognitive growth. By mid-century, hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers increasingly began to include art therapy programs along with traditional "talk therapies," underscoring the recognition that the creative process of art-making enhanced recovery, health, and wellness. As a result, the profession of Art Therapy grew into an effective and important method of communication, assessment, and treatment with children and adults in a variety of settings.

Education & Credentialing

The practice of Art Therapy requires a minimum of a Master's degree from an accredited art therapy graduate program; two years of post-graduate supervision resulting in the Registered Art Therapist (ATR) credential. Once registered, art therapists may also take an exam through the Art Therapy Credentials Board to obtain board certified status (ATR-BC).

Because the educational requirements and post graduate training of Art Therapists is commensurate with social workers and professional counselors, Art Therapists are eligible to become Licensed Professional Counselors in many states, including Colorado.

One must complete the required core curriculum as outlined in the AATA Education Standards to qualify as a professional Art Therapist. Educational requirements include: theories of Art Therapy, counseling, and psychotherapy; ethics and standards of practice; assessment and evaluation; individual, group, and family techniques; human and creative development; multicultural issues; research methods; and practicum experiences in clinical, community, and/or other settings. Art Therapists are skilled in the application of a variety of art modalities (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other media) for assessment and treatment. Entry into the profession of Art Therapy is at the master's level. Contact the AATA National Office for more information concerning current educational requirements and programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of credentials do Art Therapists have?

Art Therapy is a mental health profession that requires a master's degree from a nationally accredited art therapy graduate program.

The credential of an art therapist may look like this:
Jessie Doe MA, ATR, LPC
Jamie Doe MA, ATR-BC, LPC
Jayden Doe, MA, ATR-P

ATR-P: Registered Art Therapist Provisional

The ATR-P designation signifies that the mental health therapist is working towards obtaining their ATR credentials and has graduated from a graduate master’s program in Art Therapy.

ATR: Registered Art Therapist

The ATR designation signifies that the Art Therapist has completed two years of post-graduate supervision resulting in the ATR credentials (Registered Art Therapist). The ATR is recognized as a basic credential in the field of Art Therapy.

ATR-BC: Registered Art Therapist and Board Certified
The ATR-BC designation means that they have met the requirements for the ATR credentials and in addition have passed a voluntary ATCB Art Therapy certification examination to become Board Certified.

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor
Due to the fact that the educational requirements and post-graduate training of Art Therapists are commensurate with social workers and professional counselors, Art Therapists are eligible for licensure in many states, including Colorado, where they can be licensed as Licensed Professional Counselors.

Where do Art Therapists work?

Art Therapists work in a wide variety of settings, including, but not limited to, the following: hospitals and clinics, both medical and psychiatric, out-patient mental health agencies and day treatment facilities, residential treatment centers, rehabilitation centers, domestic violence, and homeless shelters, community agencies and non-profit settings, sheltered workshops, schools, colleges, and universities, correctional facilities, elder care facilities, art studios, private practice, etc.

An Art Therapist may work as part of a team that includes physicians, psychologists, nurses, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, rehabilitation counselors, social workers, and teachers. Together, they determine and implement a client's therapeutic goals and objectives. Other Art Therapists work independently and maintain private practices with children, adolescents, adults, groups, and/or families.

How is Art Therapy different from art activities or art as therapy?

Art Activity: the teaching and focus is usually on the art activity.

Art as therapy: has benefits that are purely driven by the act of creative expression while engaging in a relaxing activity. This is similar to watching a movie, taking a walk or reading a book. The act itself is therapeutic in that it transports us away from our daily stresses.

During the activity, we may inadvertently experience emotional expression, understanding of ourselves, and moments of personal insight into problems, however, these outcomes are usually an unexpected by-product of the activity. In many cases, although, we experience these outcomes, we don’t know what to do with them once they surface.

Art Therapy: has the same benefits of art as therapy, however, as the art activity is made in session with a therapist, you are able to be guided on how to process these unexpected emotions and insights. An Art Therapist can help facilitate the process of identifying and processing difficult emotions that arise from an art making activity. An Art Therapist can also provide art directives that can help explore difficulties we are experiencing.