There are currently both undergraduate and graduate art therapy programs in colleges and universities nationally and worldwide. Entry into the profession of art therapy is at master’s level. There are three ways to complete the approved coursework at graduate level: 1.Obtain a Master’s Degree in art therapy from an accredited school 2. Obtain a Master’s degree with an emphasis in art therapy 3. Complete twenty-four semester units in art therapy with a Master’s degree in a related field. After graduation an individual must complete 1000 direct client contact hours and while obtaining 100 hours of clinical supervision. Registration (ATR) is granted upon completion of graduate level and postgraduate supervised experience.

Although is a relatively new profession in the field of psychology and mental health, art therapy has become a distinct profession governed by its national association, The American Art Therapy association or AATA at www.arttherapy.org. The American Art Therapy Association is a national association that was founded in 1969 and currently encompasses approximately 4,750 members in five membership categories. AATA is dedicated to the belief that the creative process involved in the making of art is healing and life enhancing.

The American Art Therapy Association sets ethical educational and professional standards for its members. The Art Therapy Credentials Board, Inc. (ATCB) is an independent organization that grants art therapy registration (ATR) and board certification (ATR-BC) to registered art therapists who successfully pass a written national certification examination. Certification is maintained through continuing education/activities that demonstrate active professional competence.

State requirements for private practice of art therapy vary across the country. In many states art therapists can become licensed as counselors or mental health workers.

Affiliate chapters exist throughout the United States and offer membership that helps support invited speakers, active involvement in local licensure efforts and continuing education opportunities.

References
Junge, M. B. & P. P. Asawa. A History of Art Therapy in the United States. Mundelein,IL:The American Art Therapy Association, 1994.

Kelly, J. Revealing and healing illness with art therapy. Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 3 (2), 107-114, 1997.

Kramer, E. The history of art therapy in a large mental health hospital. American Journal of Art Therapy, 21, 75-84, 1982.

Levy, B. I., Kramer, E., Kwiatkowska, H. Y., Lachman, M., Rhyne, J., Ulman, E. Symposium: Integration of divergent points of view in art therapy. American Journal of Art Therapy, 14, 13-17, 1974.

Malchiodi, C. A. The Art Therapy Sourcebook. Illinois: Lowell House, 1998.

McNiff, S. Art therapy: a spectrum of partnerships. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 24, (1), 37-44, 1997.

Rubin, J. A. Approaches to Art Therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1987.

Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association (ISSN 0742-1656) is the official journal of AATA and is abstracted in ERIC (Resources in Education), PsychINFO, and CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature)

Content last modified on Apr 22, 2005