<p>There is a thread on this topic in the Graduate School forum, but since I know that the collective wisdom of CC parents is almost limitless, I am starting over here.</p>
<p>My freshman D has always been interested in studio art, and has now been fired up by her psych classes. She has mentioned this field to me as a way to combine those two interests.</p>
<p>I would love to hear from any of you who have personal knowledge and/or experience about this field, including schools with programs, and information about the state of the job market in this area.</p>
<p>I don't know what the job market is except that an undegrad I know who is interested in psychology, social work and art looked into art therapy, but decided not to go into it because she said it appears that many art therapists work with geriatric patients, and she's not interested in working with the elderly.</p>
<p>I do know that George Washington University and Florida State have art therapy graduate programs.</p>
<p>I was a music therapist in a past life and worked with art therapists who had studied at Lesley University, and (at the time) Goucher (undergrad). As an expressive arts therapist, I was able to find work easily despite moving around due to husband's job. Plus, the pay (back in the 80s) could exceed $25/hour if self-employed. It's a great and gratifying profession.</p>
<p>The art therapists I knew worked with children - emotional disabilities in one facility and hearing impairments in another. In terms of clientele, it's wide open.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, thanks so much for the website! I was hoping there would be a grad program in my city, or at least in my state--since my secret life plan for D is for her to return home to live--but there isn't, at least according to the site. Plenty of other helpful info, though.</p>
<p>I will keep the site in reserve, because as we know, our kids will likely change their minds about a chosen profession at least a bazillion times before they graduate.</p>
<p>DW earned her MA in Art Therapy/Behavioral Science, worked with children for a few years at an in-patient psychiatric hospital before getting a Ph.D in Educational Psychology. There is a program at NYU I believe.</p>
<p>If your D is interested in art therapy, I would recommend that she perhaps shadow or even intern with an art therapist to get a sense of what's involved. I did paraprofessional work in music therapy for more than a year before entering grad school. It probably was one of the best decisions I ever made. Knowing that this was the field that I wanted to enter made me even more motivated to do well in school and helped determine which courses would best suit my needs.</p>
<p>My junior D is a double major in psych and speech pathology. Her psych classes motivated her to want to work with behavioral therapy with children with developmental disabilites. Through a professor she is currently working with visually impaired children with multiple disabilities in a near-by state residential facility. In looking at grad school options and talking with professors, she has decided to pursue a Ph.D. in School Psychology as a way to keep her options open to work with different student populations. In looking at opportunities with my D for internships, I have seen art therapy offered in clinical, school, and home-based environments with different age groups. I would urge your D to work through a psych professor to try to get some hands-on experience to try it out in a sense. My D said that it made a difference for her because she can now appreciate more fully how her classes will help her get to where she wants to be.</p>
<p>By the way, even though my D wants to go away for grad school, my secret hope as well is that she will return home to this area or at least stay in the same region!</p>
<p>My D is only a junior in hs, but she enjoys art and is good at it. She is currently interested in psych as a major, with a possibility of becoming a school/guidance/adustment counselor. The other day she mentioned the idea of Art Therapy.... glad to see there are programs out there if it ends up being something she wants to pursue. Her dad wants her to consider Lesley anyway, so I'll check this out!</p>
<p>My son ( a junior)is also interested in School Psychology and was told that it was one of few masters programs in Psychology with a good career outcome.
He isn't ruling out a PhD either....it really depends on the school, money and time.</p>
<p>My SIL has a masters in School Psychology from the Univ of San Francisco. In Ca the program also prepares you for a credential to counsel students in Ca public schools. She previously had worked as an elementary school teacher. She has worked in public elementary schools doing counseling. She found the pay to be low. She made more as a teacher. In the district she worked in the school counseling was contracted out to a private non-profit agency. The pay was set so low due to the fact that the agency hired counselors who needed intern hours for MFT licensing. The agency had a steady stream of people willing to intern and at least be paid something. The sad part was that the kids paid for this practice. The interns rarely lasted more then one school year. Each yr the kids started fresh with a new counselor with little to no experience. She also was able to use her masters to work at a psych hospital running groups-she is still doing this part time at $18 an hour). She eventually found she was not able to make a living. She went back to school and recently got her PhD in Clinical Psychology. She just recently finished her intern hours and is studying for the state test. As a PhD intern her pay was significantly higher. Also the benefit of the PhD is once she is licensed she can bill insurance. In our city a licensed Psychologist is almost 200 dollars a session. As a masters level school psychologist she was paid $15 an hour.
Also as schools continue to make cuts counselors are some of the first to go. I know the elementary school my kids went to has contracted for an MFT intern for counseling. She doesn't work full time. They share a Clinical Psychologist with several other schools that they bring in for testing.
One thing to consider is how long it takes to get licensed. In Ca both MFT and Psychology interns are required to work many hours before they can sit for the licensing exam. This can take several years. That is adding on addition yrs before they are making a decent income.</p>
<p>My other SIL is a PT who specializes in birth to age 5. She owns her own business that contracts with the state and county to provide care to children with Cerebral Palsy, autism and babies that are developmentally delayed due to premature birth. She has working for her PT's, OT's, speech therapists and several others including one who does art therapy. I asked her about art therapy. In her practice art therapy is done for several different reasons- to promote fine motor skills, to relax muscle groups. She said several of her OT's use art in their therapy. Obviously this is different then using art for emotional issues.
Her thoughts were once again it comes down to what income you want to earn and licensing. Her OT's are able to command a higher hourly rate due to being licensed. They also are able to bill insurance companies. The art therapist works under someone elses supervision and license.
She felt that her advice to someone who wanted to do art therapy would be to really look into how marketable the degree is. She said someone who is an OT and does art is more employable. As is a MFT or PsychD with a license and a specialty in art. Her friend was an credentialed art teacher. She went back to school and got an MFT. She has a private practice that she uses art as one part of her therapy. By having the MFT license she is able to have a private practice and make a living.</p>