What Is Art Therapy? • 27is why it is being offered. When art materials are given to disabled or troubled individuals,
the activities may well be educational or recreational. When providing art for the purpose
of constructively filling leisure time, that is not art therapy. Even in a psychiatric setting, if
the primary purpose of the activity is learning skills or having a pleasurable experience, it is
certainly therapeutic, but it is not art therapy.
The essence of art therapy is—as Ulman said—that it must be true to both parts of its
name—art and therapy. The primary goal of the art activity, therefore, must be therapy. This
usually includes assessment as well as treatment, for any therapist needs to understand who
and what they are treating. An art therapist also needs to know a great deal about the wide
range of ways in which art can aid in understanding, as well as in helping people to grow
and to change.
The field of psychotherapy is complex, encompassing many different ways of understand-
ing human beings. It also includes many different ways of helping people to overcome dif-
ficulties in development or adjustment. In order to offer art as therapy, it is essential to be
trained as a clinician. Even the most sensitive artist or teacher is not a therapist, no matter
who the student happens to be or where the teaching takes place.
Just as it takes years of study and discipline to master the visual arts, so it takes time
to master psychology and psychotherapy. Like related disciplines, such as counseling and
clinical social work, the master’s degree is the entry level for practice. As with all forms of
therapy, understanding and synthesis in art therapy come only with experience. To inte-
grate knowledge about art and therapy requires two years of graduate study, which includes
not only coursework, but also extensive clinical training, with many hours of supervised
work with patients (Figure 2.2). Students are required to have a minimum of 700 hours
during training and 1500 post-master’s hours in order to be credentialed as a Registered Art
Therapist (ATR). To become a Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) requires
passing a rigorous written examination.
Figure 2.2 Bruce Moon supervising an art therapy student.