Art therapy is the clinical application of art and psychology as a vehicle for communication, healing, and growth. Self-expression through the arts engages the creative process and helps clients gain insight, and fosters a sense of well being. Imagery is fundamental to inner life and thought, and the art therapist and client work together to explore the rich language, process and meaning of the art. Sometimes feelings are too difficult to talk about and the process of art therapy can make verbal expression more accessible. Visual expression can provide a key for new understanding, promoting change, enhanced self-esteem and self-empowerment.

Art therapy engages the creative process through art making, which can be healing, enriching and pleasurable. One does not have to be an artist to benefit from art therapy. The process of making art and exploring the art visually, as well as talking about it with an art therapist, can promote personal growth. Art therapy can facilitate change and provide coping skills, often with much more clarity than words alone could have provided. The art therapist provides a safe, non-judgmental environment for the participants to express themselves through a variety of art media. Sometimes the art making is spontaneous and other times it is directed by the facilitator, with the emphasis on empowering the participant to self-interpret their non-verbal expression, with the guidance of the art therapist. Some art therapists administer projective testing in order to interpret graphic material as a tool to help with diagnosis and treatment planning. However, diagnosing art work is not to be confused with art therapy, which is a process that occurs within a therapeutic relationship; a journey to be traveled by both the art therapist and the participant. .

Art therapists work with individuals of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds who have developmental, medical, or psychological concerns and those who are seeking personal growth opportunities. Children most often cannot easily express themselves verbally, and adults often use verbal distracters to distance themselves from their emotions. The non-verbal visual expressive aspect of art therapy can therefore provide a means of enabling participants to break through these obstacles toward enhanced self-expression. Art therapists can provide individual, group, couples, and family art therapy services, as well as work within communities.

Art therapists often work as part of clinical teams in psychiatric hospitals, inpatient and outpatient treatment centers, medical facilities, schools, community mental health settings, correctional programs, chemical dependency recovery programs, and community support organizations; such as, senior centers, nursing homes, group homes, art centers, churches, wellness centers, homeless shelters, DFACS shelters, hospice programs. They also work in private practice or alongside other professionals in private practices, and with clients of all ages.

Art therapists are professionals trained in both art and therapy and hold a Master's degree in art therapy or a related field, with additional coursework in art therapy. Registration as an Art Therapist (ATR) and Board Certification (ATR-BC) are obtained once experience in the field and requirements are met, although obtaining Board Certification is optional. Art therapists are skilled in the application of a variety of art modalities, such as drawing, painting, clay, and other mediums, for treatment and assessment. Some conduct research as well, and provide consultations to allied professionals. Visit our Resources page to meet our members of GATA (Georgia Art Therapy Association). Visit our Referrals page to find an art therapist in private practice, as well as to learn more about their other endeavors and services. If your facility is seeking an art therapist please contact our , so that she can post a request to the GATA listserv.

What is GATA? The Georgia Art Therapy Association (GATA), a statewide non-profit organization, was founded in 1978. GATA is an affiliate Chapter of the national organization, The American Art Therapy Association, Inc. (AATA). Members belong to both organizations, but GATA also includes those who support the practice of art therapy, as a Friend of GATA. We provide activities for art therapists and other professionals in the Southeast to educate the public about art therapy. 

2010 GATA Board:
President: Virginia DuPre
Vice President: Teresa Harris
Treasurer: Carrie Elder
Co-Treasurer: Hertancer Lindsay Shepherd
Secretary: Jannah Goodell

Committee Chairs:
Program Chair: Tori Tinsley
Membership Chair: Megan McSwain
Ethics Chair: Susanne Fincher
Communications/Web Chair: Jenny Welty-Green

If you are a member of AATA, you will join GATA at the same time by sending in your GATA dues directly to AATA.  If you join AATA late, be sure to include dues to cover those for GATA. All GATA dues are $30 annually, whether you are joining as a Credentialed Professional Member (ATR/ATR-BC), Professional Member (graduate degree in art therapy), Associate Member (have an interest in the therapeutic use of art), or Student. To get a membership application from AATA, click here. If there is not a space on your AATA membership form to join GATA, just write in that you wish to join and send in an additional $30 to cover GATA dues. You will need to contact our to update your contact information and to let her know that you have joined through AATA. Please include "GATA Membership" in your subject line. If you are not a member of AATA but would like to support GATA, then you can join as a Friend, and your fees are $30 annually, this includes "Student" Friends. Download the membership application or contact our .

One of the key benefits of GATA membership is that we provide a sense of community among talented creative therapists and many networking resources. We have quarterly GATA meetings where you can get to know other art therapists, gain insights into the job market, contribute your creative ideas to promote GATA and educate the public about art therapy and our profession. As a member of GATA, we also invite you to hold a Board or Committee position. Your support of GATA is important to us as it helps us strengthen the small but mighty presence of art therapy in Georgia. Our meeting dates are posted on the website as well as on our listserv. Other benefits include:

• Scheduled art making gatherings to experience the healing power of art in community.
  
• Access to our listserv, which is our main tool of communication to easily inform others about job opportunities, arts happenings, up to date developments in GATA/AATA and to express our opinions on professional matters.
  
• Art therapy training and workshops, Master supervisions, peer supervision, and continuing education opportunities.
  
• Professional members of GATA/AATA can also have their private practice information posted on our website for referrals. Contact , our Communications Chair, for instructions on how to have your information posted on our website.

You will need the minimum of a Master's degree from a program accredited by the American Art Therapy Association, Inc. This includes coursework in art therapy, practicum experience, and typically a thesis paper or research project to complete your degree requirements. Click here to see AATA's educational requirements.There are no longer certificate programs available offering training in art therapy. You must obtain a master’s degree in art therapy from an accredited program. Some of your master’s level coursework from another field might count toward your degree in art therapy. Check with the institution with which you plan to apply. Art therapists understand that we do not own “the rights to art” and many practitioners use art therapeutically in their profession. However, to call oneself an art therapist or to say one is doing art therapy requires a degree in art therapy.

There are currently no schools in Georgia offering a Master's Degree in Art Therapy, however... Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, GA is proposing a Master of Arts in Art Therapy Program. It will be a collaborative degree between the School of Health Sciences (Music Therapy) and the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Art Dept). Once approved, this program is slated to begin in 2010. Contact for more info.

For a complete listing of accredited programs in the United States, click here or contact:

The American Art Therapy Association, Inc.
11160-C1 South Lakes Drive, Suite 813
Reston, VA 20191
Phone:1-888-290-0878
E-mail:
Website: www.arttherapy.org

Also, as a resident of Georgia, be sure to contact the Academic Common Market to see if you can receive in-state tuition at an out-of-state program which participates in the Academic Common Market.

Many students from Georgia have attended, or are currently attending one of these programs:

Pratt Institute’s Department of Creative Arts Therapy, one of the country’s oldest AATA approved art therapy and dance therapy training programs, offers an M.P.S in Art Therapy and Creativity Development or an M.P.S. in Art Therapy, Special Education. Coursework is a synthesis of creative and psychotherapeutic theory. Art making and/or movement is used in every course to teach therapeutic skills.  Integrating experiential and didactic components prepares students to work with a variety of patient populations. Professors are actively involved in the art therapy field, and many maintain private practices.The program is based on a Spring/Summer Intensive model in which students study for a week in the spring and a month in the summer for 3 years. Practicums are done from September through May in the student’s home area. Weekly individual supervision is conducted by telephone.   For more info, visit www.pratt.edu/creative_arts_therapy  or call (718) 636-3428

Saint Mary -of-the-Woods College offers an AATA approved Master of Art Therapy degree in the distance learning format. It is physically located near Terre Haute Indiana. Students must travel to the school each semester to meet their teacher, have class, get their assignments, and meet with faculty and staff. This is done through an extended weekend at the beginning of each semester. The summer semesters require a week on campus, resulting in a three and a half year commitment. The course work is done at home, with e-mail contact between student and faculty,  and sent in by e-mail. Students take two courses per semester, and half time is allowed so they may do just one course per semester, or may take a semester off.  All observations, practicum work, and internship work must be arranged by the student with registered art therapists in the student's home area. The program's curriculum includes clinical counseling along with art therapy. The school requires a portfolio of art rather than GRE scores. The faculty members are adjunct faculty who practice art therapy all over the United States. For more info, visit: www.smwc.edu

Yes. Visit the Opportunities page to see a list of facilities accepting visitors and interns. Your options can also vary based upon referrals made by the art therapy program at your university or college, and your location. Some facilities will  accept volunteers, others will not; therefore, you will need to contact them directly.

Visit the Opportunities page for listings of art therapists qualified to offer art therapy supervision, as needed for Registration (ATR).

The job market in Georgia is variable. At times, we have art therapists actively looking for jobs. At other times, we have agencies actively looking for art therapists, with no one available to fill those positions. One thing for sure is that most GATA members are aware of what jobs are available. Being a member of GATA provides you opportunities to explore the job market by networking with other art therapists at our meetings as well as posting your job search requests via our listserv. We post news of art therapy jobs on our listserv as we become aware of them. You can also click on the Opportunities page under Jobs to see if any positions are listed. Sometimes getting in the door at a facility by doing an internship, volunteering, or taking a related position such as a mental health counselor, leads the way for you to develop an art therapy position. Try sending out resumes to various facilities requesting information interviews wherein you go tour the facility, meet staff and talk about what you do as an art therapist, and of course, leave a resume. (This GATA member got her first art therapy job this way!) The United Way's Community Resource Databaseis a comprehensive guide to a great number of facilities in Georgia. You can access it by clicking here. This is a great starting place for sending out resumes. Lots of art therapists have creatively made art therapy jobs--come spend some time with us and learn how!

Good question! And a hot topic for AATA and training programs. Many art therapists hold positions with their ATR or ATR-BC. Some art therapists had to have a license, even with having art therapy credentials. Some of our art therapists have chosen to get their license in professional counseling (LPC), which required taking extra coursework for most of them. If it is important for you to be able to get a license, and since no licenses for art therapy are available yet in Georgia, you may want to be sure your art therapy program includes counseling courses required to obtain your LPC, or other license.

Salary ranges as of 2008 in facilities employing full time art therapists typically run from $33,000-$65.000. The top end salaries are usually the maximum for that position and include those having a Master’s degree and an ATR or ATR-BC and is based upon experience. Most of these positions include benefits of some kind. One facility offered an 18% increase in pay with an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) even with starting pay. Contract hours for a variety of settings typically range from $25-$85 Private Practice rates typically range from $70-$100 per hour for individual and $40-$65 for group rate Note: With overhead costs for rent, supplies, insurance, etc. private practice annual salary can end up in the mid to high $30,000 range.

Contact AATA for the latest standards required for private practice, as well as their recommendations for professional insurance policies available to art therapists.  Please note that for legal purposes, we can only post art therapists in private practice on our website who are members of both GATA and AATA. Contact our Ethics Chair, , for more information.

AATA regulates the educational, professional, and ethical standards for art therapists, while the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) can grant your Registration (ATR) after you have fulfilled their requirements for education, supervision and direct client contact hours. An ATR who successfully passes the written examination required to obtain Board Certification is granted ATR-BC credentials by the ATCB. This credential is maintained through Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Click here to contact the ATCB. The ethical standards of practice from the ATCB can be downloaded by clicking here. The ethical standards of practice from the AATA can be downloaded by clicking here.

Click here , or call 1-888-290-0878.