What Degree Do You Need for Art Therapy in Austin, TX?

Once upon a time I was asked by an incredulous and shocked person, “You actually need a DEGREE to be an art therapist?”  It was a little insulting, I will admit.  But I answered this individual and provided him with factual information…and later on a twist of fate brought us in contact again.

The first time I met him, we were attending a mental health conference sponsored by various community agencies in the area.  The second time we met, he was a client in a program that had hired me to provide art therapy services.

Why Do You Need a Degree to Provide Art Therapy in Austin, TX?

How fortunate for the man in this treatment program that I had the right degree to provide art therapy services!  Art therapy is a regulated mental health profession.  It is not the same thing as “counseling with crayons”; having the appropriate education to provide ethical and effective art therapy services ensures that a practitioner’s work is grounded in art therapy knowledge and skills.

What is the Path to Becoming an Art Therapist?

The United States is increasingly seeing states develop art therapy licensing laws to protect the public—as of this writing, 11 states and the District of Columbia all have an art therapy licensing law, and five states, including Texas, regulate art therapy through a licensing law in a related mental health profession; this impacts art therapy in Austin, TX.

The general standard for entry into the art therapy profession is the acquisition of a master’s degree in art therapy.  There are some exceptions, with a few licensed mental health professionals in counseling, marriage & family therapy, psychology, or social work preferring to pursue art therapy via a post-master’s program.

A Note About Post-Master’s Programs in Art Therapy

Post-master’s programs don’t offer or require as many credits as a traditional graduate program.  That’s why they’re for people who have completed a related degree; these post-master’s programs eliminate what would be redundant coursework and instead focus on content that is new learning for someone who is already a mental health professional and wants to become an art therapist in Austin, TX.

What if You Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Therapy?

What can a person do with a bachelor’s degree in art therapy?  A bachelor’s degree won’t provide you with the same content that a master’s degree program will, so if your goal is to actually become an art therapist, you can use a bachelor’s degree in art therapy to prepare you for admission requirements into a master’s program.

Another option is to use a bachelor’s degree in art therapy in Austin, TX to inform your work no matter where your career may take you.  How is it not useful to understand something about the human condition and the power of creativity for addressing human problems?

What if You Earn a Doctoral Degree in Art Therapy?

What can a person do with a doctoral degree in art therapy?  People who pursue education at this level generally become administrators, educators, and researchers no matter what sector of the mental health industry they’re in (art therapy, counseling, marriage & family therapy, or social work).

While skipping a master’s degree in art therapy in Austin, TX and opting for an art therapy doctoral degree won’t prepare you for fulfilling the role of a practitioner, the doctorate can refine the lens through which you understand the human condition and the power of creativity to address human problems.

Where Can You Learn More About Art Therapy Education?

The websites of the American Art Therapy Association and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs/Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education are good places to dig into for researching technical information about master’s-level education in art therapy.

The website of the Art Therapy Credentials Board can help you understand how art therapy education translates into art therapy credentialing after graduating.  Keep in mind that there aren’t art therapy credentials to go along with bachelor’s- or doctoral-level degree programs in art therapy; regulation of the art therapy profession happens at the master’s level, which is where you learn the fundamentals of becoming a practitioner of art therapy in Austin, TX.

What Are the Legal Requirements for Practicing Art Therapy Where You Live?

Can you attend an online master’s-level degree program in art therapy if there isn’t one near you or if you don’t resonate with the ones in your area?  YES.  Those programs are available, but things can get a little tricky after graduation if the program didn’t prepare you to meet licensing requirements in the state where you live.

That’s beyond the scope of this article, but if you choose to pursue distance learning, just know you’ll need to be extra aware of the requirements in the state where you intend to practice.  For art therapy in Austin, TX, where there aren’t ANY graduate art therapy programs available, art therapy has title protection under the Texas counseling law.

“Art Therapist” as a Protected Title in Texas

To call yourself an art therapist in Texas, you have to fulfill the requirements for becoming a “licensed professional counselor with a specialty designation in art therapy.”  That’s been law in Texas since 1995, and until a specific art therapy licensing law (one that does not affiliate art therapy with counseling) is passed and enacted, this is still the law.

Do You Have Other Questions About Art Therapy in Austin, TX?  

Hopefully this brief tour of “what degree do you need for art therapy?” has helped you understand that, YES, you actually do need a degree to be an art therapist, and, YES, you do need to understand the legal requirements for being an art therapist where you live.

If I can answer any more questions about “what degree do you need for art therapy?”, I’d be happy to help.  I love explaining how art therapy fits into the mental health treatment scene and how art therapy works, the main goal of art therapy, and what people do in art therapy.

Are You Ready to Discover the Path Forward as a Client of Art Therapy in Austin, TX?

Some people who go on to become art therapists actually started out as art therapy clients first!  Experiencing the power of art therapy first-hand is an embodied opportunity for you to harness the creative force within you to find the solutions to the problems that traditional talk therapy can’t quite resolve.

A Free Consultation for Art Therapy Services  

We are made up of so much more than our words; contact me for a free phone consultation to explore how art therapy in Austin, TX can help you discover the path forward.  I work with adults of all ages and provide online art therapy in Texas, online art therapy in Indiana, and online art therapy in Arizona.

My specialties include anxiety, attachment issues, burnout, depression, grief or loss, self-esteem issues, spirituality issues, and trauma.  Let’s find out if your path toward a degree in art therapy includes time spent walking together toward your personal goals of moving beyond words and becoming whole!