What do they do?

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

Also known as:

Art Psychotherapist, Art Therapist, Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC), Creative Arts Therapist, Group Therapist, Oncology Art Therapist, Registered Art Therapist (ATR), Therapist

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Therapists, All Other is projected to grow 6 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
  • 6.5%

    Change

    Ranks #35 in job growth rate
    90

    Job Openings

    Ranks #7 in net job growth

Best colleges for Art Therapists

Search

Colleges with the most graduates that become Art Therapists

Search

Looking for colleges that offer a specific major? Use the College Match Tool to find your best-matched schools and discover your estimated Net Price!

Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (7%)
  • Master's degree  (58%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (23%)
  • Associate's degree  (5%)
  • Some college, no degree  (4%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (3%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Art Therapists

Select Type of Degree:

People in this career often have these skills:

  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
  • Record patient medical histories.
  • Develop treatment plans that use non-medical therapies.
  • Treat patients using psychological therapies.
  • Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
  • Evaluate patient outcomes to determine effectiveness of treatments.
  • Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
  • Interact with patients to build rapport or provide emotional support.
  • Prepare reports summarizing patient diagnostic or care activities.
  • Select medical equipment for addressing patient needs.
  • Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
  • Communicate test or assessment results to medical professionals.
  • Establish treatment goals.
  • Order medical supplies or equipment.
  • Supervise patient care personnel.
  • Gather medical information from patient histories.
  • Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals.
  • Analyze quantitative data to determine effectiveness of treatments or therapies.
  • Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
  • Communicate health and wellness information to the public.
  • Train caregivers or other non-medical personnel.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.

College Raptor Loading Screen College Raptor Loading Screen