Re:Graduate Programs in Art Therapy

Hi Amy,

I can't answer the question about which school to attend, but I have an opinion based on personal experience as a working therapist. I would want to get a degree that leads to a clinical licensure that is portable from state to state, or has the possibility of being portable with little extra coursework. Right now, that is generally an LPC (licensed professional counselor) or LPCC (licensed clinical mental health counselor). Some art therapy programs can lead to licensure specifically as an art therapist. The problem is there are very few states where this licensure exists and it often does not allow one to obtain third party pay which becomes important in many job settings.

No one really knows if one will stay in one state during one's entire life these days, people move around a lot due to spouses/partners, family, etc. So portability of one's credentials and the type of credential one has is important. Really quiz the programs you apply to about what their graduates can obtain in term of credentials, post-graduation. Ask the educator who interviews you if he or she has a license and in what field and if he or she practices actively in the field in addition to being an educator. The job market for art therapists can be difficult (not impossible, but difficult) if you don't have additional credentials in many states. A good program will tell you all the facts to make you an informed consumer of their educational offering.

Best, Cathy

Replies:

Re:Graduate Programs in Art Therapy, by Amy, 08/14/02

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