Art Therapy in San Diego: Where to Find an Art Therapist.
As a credentialed therapist providing Art Therapy in San Diego, I know that many therapists, not just Art Therapists, love art.
Sometimes, because a mental health professional makes art or is interested in art, they also introduce art processes into their therapy work with their clients.
If you’re reading this blog, you may be searching for someone who provides art therapy, sometimes called art psychotherapy. In general, it can be easy to become overwhelmed when searching for a health professional who provides the type of help you’re looking for, and mental health is no different.
Through your search, you may have found many talk therapists who state on their websites or professional profiles that they provide art therapy. You may have also found some interesting groups in the community facilitated by caring artists with a heart to help others. Is what they are providing truly art therapy?
What does it mean that someone provides art therapy?
Does it mean a therapist who has art supplies in their office?
A talk therapist is credentialed to provide mental health treatment but not necessarily credentialed to provide art psychotherapy, even if they love and create art on their own and have art supplies in their office.
A credentialed Art Therapy professional is a mental health provider or “therapist”, and they do have and use art supplies. However, there is a difference between a therapist who knows how to use art supplies and a therapist having professional training and experience in art therapy.
To gain the credentials to provide art therapy, a therapist must complete graduate-level training and supervised experience in Art Therapy. Without that, they may be working outside their scope of practice and scope of competence.
Does it mean an artist who conducts a group for people who want to explore their feelings?
Art Therapists are artists. You may find that many artists run groups in the community, and Art Therapists also run groups. The difference is the training of the person running the group and the purpose of the group.
An art therapy group’s purpose is generally related to mental health issues and healing. The group may be designed to help you deal with past trauma, grief, or another type of issue. An Art Therapist is trained specifically to navigate mental health issues with individuals and groups, an artist is not. If it’s unclear what type of group it is, get clarification. I
Why does it even matter if the person providing art therapy is credentialed in art therapy?
It matters because the credential protects you if you are seeking to participate in Art Therapy and hope to be helped by it. Art Therapy is not a modality or a set of interventions that any talk therapist or artist can provide to treat Mental Health. It is a specialized field.
The Art Therapy Credentialing Board (ACTB), is a national organization that credentials Art Therapists in the United States. That credential is earned through a master's level education that includes multiple years of training in mental health treatment and the use of studio art in the service of healing.
After graduating with a master’s degree and becoming a provisional Art Therapist, one works in supervised training locations, like psychiatric hospitals, earning over 1500 hours to apply for the Art Therapy Registration (ATR). After that, an ATR can take a national exam to gain board certification (ATR-BC).
That’s why it’s crucial if you find an individual or an organization that says they provide art therapy treatment or services that you ask about their qualifications. Again, it’s to protect you.
When friends and family are looking for therapy, they sometimes ask for my thoughts or input in finding a therapist. If you are specifically looking for an Art Therapist, here are some things that are important to ask if the information is not readily available:
What Art Therapy credential do you hold?
Taking a short course about art therapy online or attending a workshop on the weekend does not credential someone to provide Art Therapy.
Here are the credentials to look for that are governed by the Art Therapy Credentialing Board:
ATR which is a Registered Art Therapist
ATR-BC which is a Board-Certified Art Therapist
ATCS who is an Art Therapy Certified Supervisor
ATR-P who is a Provisional Art therapist who is earning their supervised hours
What is your training in art therapy?
Ideally, you want someone with a master’s degree in art therapy, as they have the highest level of training. Believe it or not, people in the general public offer art experiences and say they are providing art therapy, which by definition is a mental health occupation.
While they may have the best intentions, they may be unlicensed and unqualified to provide art psychotherapy. Please seek out therapists with the appropriate professional training.
What populations have you worked with while receiving art therapy supervision?
Generally speaking, you want to work with a therapist who is experienced in helping people with issues similar to yours. A talk therapist may be very experienced with your issues, however, if you want effective art therapy treatment, you need to work with a credentialed art therapist who has supervised experience using art therapy with your specific issues.
Why is it difficult to find San Diego Art Therapy professionals?
As mentioned earlier, Art Therapy is a specialized field of mental health, and most therapists in general are not credentialed Art Therapists. The therapists who are credentialed art therapists may not work in private practice settings. Many are employed with mental and medical facilities, treatment centers, and other agencies. This makes them less accessible to the general public.
An experienced artist who volunteers at a hospital, facilitating art, may be very knowledgeable about using art materials. However, they typically are not licensed to provide mental health treatment.
A free consultation for Art Therapy in San Diego.
When you want to benefit from art therapy, you want someone with the right training, experience, and credentials to help you. You want to find someone who can come alongside you in deeply supportive ways, using art to facilitate healing and improve your mental health. That’s what you deserve.
I hope this expands your understanding of the difference between therapy with a talk therapist with art supplies, a caring artist with art training and an understanding heart, and a mental health professional credentialed to provide Art Therapy.
My name is Tami, and I’m a registered Art Therapist providing Art Therapy in San Diego and throughout California. My specialties include anxiety, trauma, grief & loss, and using Art Therapy to help clients with those issues. As a Therapist in San Marcos, CA I see clients in person and online.