Art Therapy Health Article

Precautions

Art materials and techniques should match the age and ability of the client. People with impairments, such as traumatic brain injury or an organic neurological condition, may have difficulties with the self-discovery portion of the art therapy process depending on their level of functioning. However, they may still benefit from art therapy through the sensory stimulation it provides and the pleasure they get from artistic creation.

While art is accessible to all (with or without a therapist to guide the process), it may be difficult to tap the full potential of the interpretive part of art therapy without a therapist to guide the process. When art therapy is chosen as a therapeutic tool to cope with a physical condition, it should be treated as a supplemental therapy and not as a substitute for conventional medical treatments.

Research and general acceptance

A wide body of literature supports the use of art therapy in a mental health capacity. And as the mind-body connection between psychological well-being and physical health is further documented by studies in the field, art therapy gains greater acceptance by mainstream medicine as a therapeutic technique for organic illness.

Training and certification

Both undergraduate and graduate art therapy programs are offered at many accredited universities across the United States. Typical art therapy programs combine

courses in art and psychology. The majority of these programs meets or exceeds standards set by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA).

The Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB), a voluntary organization, grants the designation ATR (Art Therapist Registered) to professionals who have completed an approved master's level program of study in art therapy (as described by the AATA) and have accumulated at least 1,000 hours of additional supervised clinical experience. Board certification is also available through the ATCB for art therapists who have met the ATR requirements and have passed a certification exam (ATRBC). Art therapists with the ATR-BC designation must complete continuing education credits to maintain their certification.

Registration and/or certification is a recognition of professional expertise, not a legal qualification or requirement to practice. Professional licensing requirements for art therapists vary by state. However, if the therapy is intended as a companion treatment to psychological counseling or other mental health treatment, state licensing requirements typically apply. Where licensing is a prerequisite to practice, a combination of education and clinical experience, a written test, and continuing education are required to maintain the license.

KEY TERMS

Catharsis—Therapeutic discharge of emotional tension by recalling past events.

Mandala—A design, usually circular, that appears in religion and art. In Buddhism and Hinduism, the mandala has religious ritual purposes and serves as a yantra (a geometric emblem or instrument of contemplation).

Organic illness—A physically, biologically based illness.

BOOKS

Fausek, Diane. A Practical Guide to Art Therapy. Binghamton, New York: Haworth Press, 1997.

Ganim, Barbara. Art and Healing: Using Expressive Art to Heal Your Body, Mind, and Spirit. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999.

Malchiodi, Cathy A. The Art Therapy Sourcebook. Los Angeles: Lowell House, 1998.

McNiff, Shaun. Art as Medicine: Creating a Therapy of the Imagination. Boston: Shambhala, 1992.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Art Therapy Association.1202 Allanson Rd., Mundelein, IL 60060-3808. 888-290-0878 or 847-949-6064. Fax: 847-566-4580. E-mail: arttherapy@ntr.net <http://www.arttherapy.org>.

Paula Ford-Martin