Is Art Therapy a Good Career?

Female art therapist working with a child.

Art therapy is a rewarding career for those who are artistic, creative thinkers and have a passion for directly helping people.

Art Therapy can be a good career choice if you’re creative, artistic and want to work in the health care field with those who suffer from learning disabilities and behavioral disorders.

Art therapists implement imaginative techniques to help individuals interact, decrease anxiety and enhance self-confidence. They commonly find employment in medical centers, health care clinics, rehabilitation centers, academic institutions (especially K-12), penitentiaries, and private medical practices. ~~These therapeutic specialists earn an average yearly income of $47,300. Jobs in this profession are expected to grow almost 20% faster than average through the next decade.~~ Aforementioned data taken from National Institutes of Health website is not accurate at this time, according to Dr. Cathy Malchiodi, who originally authored the page in 2006.

According to Malchiodi, an art therapy researcher and advocate, average salary is actually around $38,000, though full-time positions are limited especially with more graduates than jobs available. Furthermore, the U.S. Dept. of Labor does not have current job outlook information on art therapy.

Career Definition: Art Therapy

Art therapy is a mental health occupation that applies the innovative methods of creating art to develop and improve the physical, psychological and emotional health of people of any age. This profession is founded upon the view that the imagination associated with artistic self-expression acts towards enabling individuals to deal with differences and complications, establish social skills, control behavior, decrease stress, boost self-esteem and self-confidence, and obtain situational understanding.

3 Requirements For Becoming an Art Therapist

The following sections go over the requirements needed to become an Art Therapist.

1. Education

The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) states in order to become a qualified art therapist necessitates a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Art Therapy and post-graduate supervised, clinical experience. If you already hold a master’s degree in a different area you can go into a special post-master’s program in Art Therapy which allows you to earn your degree and enter into this profession faster. Any Art Therapy master’s program should be acknowledged by the AATA Education Program Approval Board.

2. Professional Credentials

Though not required for all work settings, you can become a registered and board-certified art therapist to improve your employment and earning potential. The Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) offers registered art therapist (ATR) status upon confirmation you’ve completed your master’s degree and have supervised post-graduate experience that includes 1,000 hours of directly working with patients or clients. Out of those 1,000 hours, 100 require supervision (1 hour of professional oversight is needed for every 10 hours of patient contact). Once you become an ATR, the ATCB also administers an exam to become a board-certifed art therapist (ATR-BC) if you’re interested or if an employment opportunity necessitates it.