Career Overview
Plan or conduct art therapy sessions or programs to improve clients' physical, cognitive, or emotional well-being.
Also Known As
- Art Psychotherapist
- Art Therapist
- Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC)
- Registered Art Therapist (ATR)
Alternate Job Titles
- Art Psychotherapist
- Art Therapist
- Art Therapy Specialist
- Arts Therapist
- Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC)
- Board Certified Arts Therapist (ATR-BC)
- Certified Art Therapist
- Clinical Therapist
- Cognitive Therapist
- Creative Art Therapist
- Creative Arts Therapist
- Creative Therapist
- Expressive Art Therapist
- Expressive Therapist
- Group Therapist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Observe and document client reactions, progress, or other outcomes related to art therapy.
- Design art therapy sessions or programs to meet client's goals or objectives.
- Conduct art therapy sessions, providing guided self-expression experiences to help clients recover from, or cope with, cognitive, emotional, or physical impairments.
- Confer with other professionals on client's treatment team to develop, coordinate, or integrate treatment plans.
- Assess client needs or disorders, using drawing, painting, sculpting, or other artistic processes.
- Talk with clients during art or other therapy sessions to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to the artistic process.
- Develop individualized treatment plans that incorporate studio art therapy, counseling, or psychotherapy techniques.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Fine Arts
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- English Language
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
- Service Orientation
- Writing
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Near Vision
- Written Comprehension
- Speech Clarity
- Oral Expression
- Speech Recognition
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Written Expression
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Sincerity
- Innovation
- Social Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Master's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
Tools & Equipment
- 35 millimeter cameras
- Artists' easels
- Artists' paintbrushes
- Artists' scissors
- Circle cutters
- Computer data input scanners
- Digital audio recorders
- Digital camcorders
- Digital still cameras
- Edge punches
- Hole punches
- Hot glue guns
- Razor knives
- Tablet computers
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Salary & Job Market
Wages reported for the broader Therapists, All Other occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Art Therapists.
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $38,840 |
| Median | $65,010 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $120,050 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 19,320
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Music Therapists
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $65,010
Recreational Therapists
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $60,280
Marriage and Family Therapists
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $63,780
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: $95,830
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $68,340
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.