How Do I Become an Art Therapist in Austin, TX?
This article is a little guide to pursuing your career dreams if you live in the Austin area and want to help others through the informed practice of art therapy. Informed practice? What’s that?
You Need to Be Informed if You Want to Practice Art Therapy
Informed generally means you know what you’re doing because you’ve sought guidance, education, and enlightenment. It’s the opposite of guesswork, which is what it looks like when you try to help others through art experiences that have no basis in a psychotherapeutic framework; guesswork doesn’t meet the standards for practicing art therapy in Austin, TX.
You Need to Complete Graduate Studies in Art Therapy
So as you’ve probably already guessed, if you want to become an art therapist, you’ll need to go to school for that. And there aren’t any graduate art therapy programs in Texas! You can read this article about what degree is best for art therapy in Austin to help you get perspective on how to plan your educational experience and aim toward the future you want, based on where you live.
You Need to Know About Licensing Requirements for an Art Therapist in Austin, TX
School and its aftermath are a big consideration if you want to become an art therapist in Austin. There’s a licensing process (see the article in the link above) and you need to be aware that at this time, the State of Texas has a specialty designation for art therapists.
You Need to Understand the Legal Aspects of Calling Yourself an Art Therapist
The specialty designation comes through a counseling license, meaning you first have to meet the criteria for a counseling license in order to have the specialty designation added (there are extra requirements for it). And because the State of Texas has created the art therapy specialty designation, the designation is mandatory if you want to hold yourself out to the public as an art therapist in Austin, TX.
That’s the current law.
Become an Art Therapist People Can Find for Mental Health Help
Finding an art therapist in Austin, TX can be tricky because of this law, so I wrote another article to help the public with that. It can help you too! Becoming an art therapist in Austin IS possible—you just need to know how many pieces of the puzzle there are so you can move them into the right place at the right time and come up with the picture you’ve been dreaming of: a career in art therapy in the capital of the Lone Star State.
Get Support from an Austin Art Therapist
Do you need help putting other pieces of your puzzle together? Things like anxiety and depression can make it difficult to figure out and take action on the steps toward your dreams. Please contact me for a free 15-minute phone consultation to explore how art therapy can support you in putting everything together and moving forward in life with clarity and confidence.