Art Therapists

What the job really is

Plan or conduct art therapy sessions or programs to improve clients' physical, cognitive, or emotional well-being.

At a glance

• Sector: Healthcare Practitioners
• O*NET-SOC code: 29-1129
• O*NET job zone: 5 — extensive preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Write treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
• Select or prepare artistic media or related equipment or devices to accomplish therapy session objectives.
• Analyze or synthesize client data to draw conclusions or make recommendations for art therapy.
• Interpret the artistic creations of clients to assess their functioning, needs, or progress.
• Customize art therapy programs for specific client populations, such as those in schools, nursing homes, wellness centers, prisons, shelters, or hospitals.

Tools and technology

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, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Music Therapists
• Recreational Therapists
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Occupational Therapists
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
• Mental Health Counselors

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 5 (extensive preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Art Therapists — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.