Art therapist

Art therapists use art to help people with physical, mental, social and emotional difficulties. Art can help people to express themselves and explore their feelings. Art therapists work with individuals and groups, in areas such as mental health, special educational needs, care services and prisons.

Also known as:

• Art psychotherapist

Work activities

Art therapists use art to help people who have difficulty expressing themselves verbally or in understanding their own feelings. The aim of the therapy is to enable the client to change and grow on a personal level. Art therapists work with a wide range of clients, including people with mental health problems, experience of abuse, learning difficulties, long-term and incurable illnesses, behavioural problems and addiction to drugs or alcohol. When the therapist first meets a client, they will listen and talk to them, assessing their problem and deciding on the most appropriate methods to use with them. They work closely with other professionals, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and teachers, to assess the client and decide on the therapy.

Art therapists usually have a caseload of clients. Depending on the methods they choose to meet the client’s needs, they work either with small groups of clients or one-to-one. They create a safe, non-threatening environment, in which the client feels free to experiment with art, without their creative expression being judged as good or bad. The point is not about being a good artist. The therapist will encourage clients to use a range of materials and artistic methods, including clay, paper, paint and collage. These activities help clients to think about their experiences, express their feelings and emotions, relax, and to communicate. The social aspect of group artwork also enables clients to form supportive relationships with each other.

For some clients, expressing feelings can be very difficult through speech alone. Art therapy is particularly useful for clients who have little or no ability to communicate in speech. The creative process can also help to relieve feelings of frustration, anger or depression in all clients. Art therapists might work with psychiatrists and psychologists to interpret the client’s work.

Personal qualities and skills

To be an art therapist, you’ll need:

• Very strong artistic skills and knowledge of art methods.
• Creativity and imagination.
• A warm, friendly and supportive personality.
• The ability to empathise with your clients.
• Emotional strength to deal with clients’ problems and experiences.
• Patience: not all clients will respond quickly to the treatment.
• Teamwork skills to work with other professionals, for example, psychologists, medical staff, teachers and prison officers.

Pay and opportunities

Art therapists employed by the NHS are paid at band 6 on the Agenda for Change payscale, starting on £35,392. This will rise with experience.

Art therapists usually work a basic 37.5-hour week in the NHS, which may include some evening and weekend work.

Employers include the NHS and local authority social services departments. Art therapists also work in special schools, where they help children who have learning disabilities or emotional problems. Some therapists work in areas such as child guidance, family therapy and marital therapy, drug and alcohol treatment units, and prisons. Opportunities for art therapists occur in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Jobs are advertised on the NHS Jobs website, in the news bulletin of the British Association of Art Therapists (available to members), national newspapers, specialist job boards, for example, for social care jobs, and professional journals.

Entry routes and training

To work as an art therapist or art psychotherapist, you’ll typically need to do a Master’s degree in art therapy/art psychotherapy and then register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

There is a level 7 degree apprenticeship in the role of art therapist, however, the NHS Health Careers website says opportunities are currently limited.

As you train, you will most likely start to specialise in a particular group, such as young people, older people, offenders and so on.

With experience, you could progress into a supervisory, management or teaching post.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: This career is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

To enter a postgraduate Master’s degree course in art therapy or art psychotherapy, you’ll usually need a first (undergraduate) degree in an art-related subject. This could include ceramics, textiles and graphic design. It can also be possible to enter with a degree or background in a relevant area, such as psychology, nursing, occupational therapy or social work, if you can demonstrate an ongoing involvement in art-making.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Part-time postgraduate courses in art therapy/psychotherapy are available. For a full list of courses, please see the website of The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

People on postgraduate courses usually fund their own studies. However, it’s sometimes possible to get sponsorship from employers or to apply for financial help from relevant medical charities and trusts.

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