Student?
Interested in Art Therapy?

I love that you are interested in Art Therapy as a career option and appreciate your interest. I must tell you AT is a fascinating and rewarding area to study and work in.

Art Therapy is a relatively new field in Canada (less than 70 yrs old). While it is more established in England, where it is a part of the national health care system, and the USA. As such, Canada has just started to recognize AT under health insurance or benefit packages. This is, impart, due to the efforts of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario who works to regulate all disciplines who offer psychotherapy services in order to make them more accessible and safer for the public.

Education: A background in Fine Art and psychology is a great combination. AT schools also accept students with other backgrounds. Contact each one to find out what they recommend. I would recommend an Art Therapy school that provides students with the experience of having gone through the therapeutic process themselves, as a group/ class. This is only a recommendation of some schools – but a really essential component to becoming a therapist.

Do I need a Masters? You do not need a Masters to be an Art Therapist. However, if you want government jobs, they usually require one. Concordia and St. Stephen’s are two Masters programs in Canada with others joining the ranks. Each has a different focus.

Experience: Working with the population you are interested in is a good start. If you are interested in the elderly, work or volunteer in hospice, long-term care or a retirement home. Young children: day care, preschool, kinder garden etc.. My background was working in child and youth care and I now specialize in children, youth and families. This does not mean that you could not see someone outside of your specialty but you would have to feel confident you could effectively provide treatment. It does help to specialize as there are too many areas to become really knowledgeable about. If you are interested in eating disorders – you could try volunteering at the hospital, etc.

As for volunteering in AT – before I was a student I inquired about the same sort of thing. Unfortunately, for people wanting some first hand experience with AT, only a student of an AT program can volunteer in any way for reasons of confidentiality and professionalism.

Another way to become more familiar with AT is to become a participant. Before I applied for AT school I participated in sessions so I could become familiar with the process and what it was like to be a client. Attending workshops and reading are also good ways to educate yourself.

There are many pros and cons to choosing Art Therapy as a career. It is my passion, it feeds my soul, I never tire of learning more about it, reading endlessly and talking about art therapy and psychology. I know this career path has made me a better person and has allowed me the honour and privilege to authentically help others in a meaningful way. AT is a great career if you are looking for lifelong learning, personal growth, and being a witness to the healing potential of creativity and resilience in people.

I hope this has been helpful. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Send me an email if you would like to experience Art Therapy for yourself.