How to Start Art Therapy Career

Art therapy is an arrangement of a therapy session whereby clients use creative means to express how they feel with a therapist’s help. The professionals in the field use the process known as self-expression, which enables clients to evaluate their emotional feelings, handle addictions, develop social skills, and minimize anxiety.  But then, who are the clients that suit art therapy sessions?

According to a different analysis from https://killer-papers.com/ art therapy comes in various forms to suit a wide range of people. This means that art therapy applies to any person despite their age differences. In life, different people are facing other problems. There are people with addiction problems, there are those facing life challenges, and there are people with medical issues. All these people require art therapy, and it must be in different forms to suit a given client’s needs.

Most art therapists handle people with a psycho-social impairment, educational development, and medical issues. There are also people struggling with different life happenings. As a result, they require art therapists to help them overcome their problems. The issues include:

• Couples facing emotional conflicts in their union
• People who are facing emotional trauma as a result of a saddening situation or a frightening encounter.
• People with low-self esteem and seeking how to undergo personal growth.
• Individuals with anxiety, stress, and other behavioral issues
• Those who have severe health illnesses like cancer, brain injury, depression, dementia, autism, and anti-socio personality.

The purpose of art therapy is to restore the life of the client-facing difficult situations as named above to regain their right way of living.

Art therapists must bring the clients closer in a creative process to analyze how they feel. The therapists create a calm environment whereby the clients feel comfortable and enjoy exploring more ideas.

Art therapists do not criticize the client’s work but cooperate with clients to understand their situation and work on positive results. They use art to communicate and use psychotherapeutic approaches to counsel the client and promote their well-being.

Work Places of Art Therapists

An art therapist can work in different settings or institutions. It can be rehabilitation centers, research centers, hospitals, forensic institutions, detention areas, schools, crisis centers, and even psychiatric facilities. Private facilities as well as hire art therapists to attend to different clients.

Requirements for Art therapists

Art therapy is a profession under mental health. This implies that any person must have good educational background to qualify for the position. Any person willing to become an art therapist must know behavioral disorders, human development, counseling theories, psychological disorders, and therapeutic techniques. Since it is a wide area, professionals must have adequate knowledge.

Apart from the fields mentioned above, an art therapist must understand visual arts since art therapy covers comes in different forms, such as drawings, sculptures, paintings, among many more.

Art Therapists Salary

Art therapists’ salary depends on factors such as the marketing strategies of the therapist, location, and experience of the therapist.

Conclusion

Art therapy, just like any other career, requires an adequate educational background. If you have a passion for art therapy, take chances, and explore the field. One major thing, study your clients and handle according to their needs and requirements.