Art therapist
Art therapists help people express difficult thoughts and feelings through creative activities.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
You might work with clients who have:
- learning disabilities
- emotional, behaviour or mental health problems
- speech and language difficulties
- an injury or illness or are recovering from an addiction
You'll help clients:
- gain greater awareness of their feelings
- express themselves
- work through their emotions
- come to terms with difficult times in their lives
- move on in a positive way
Working environment
You could work in a prison, in an NHS or private hospital or at a school.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could become self employed and create your own business.
You could also:
- become a senior art therapist
- manage a team of therapists
- manage an arts therapy unit
- move into teaching
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- knowledge of psychology
- customer service skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to understand people’s reactions
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks as you may work with children and vulnerable adults
How to become
You can get into this job through a university course or an apprenticeship.
You'll need to complete a postgraduate qualification approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.
Full time postgraduate courses normally take 2 years to complete. Part time courses take 3 years.
You should have a degree in art or creative therapies to do a postgraduate course.
You may be able to apply if you've got a degree in a related subject, for example psychology, nursing or social work.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
More Information
You may be able to do an arts therapist degree apprenticeship.
You'll usually need a qualification or experience in art, drama or music to apply.
Entry requirements
To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:
- entry requirements vary
More Information
To get a job as an art therapist, you'll need paid or volunteering experience with:
- community arts projects
- youth work
- people with disabilities or mental health issues
You can find volunteering opportunities through:
Registration
- you'll need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council
Career tips
You could try an introduction or foundation course in art therapy to give you an idea of what the work is like.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join the British Association of Art Therapists for access to professional development and networking opportunities.
Further information
You'll find more details about this career, courses and training through the British Association of Art Therapists and Health Careers.
You can also explore other careers in the psychological professions.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.