Art Therapy Jobs Overview
Are you interested in psychology and helping others to overcome life challenges? And are you creative or have a passion for art? Art therapy jobs combine psychology with art as a counseling tool. An art therapist works with the same patients as a traditional psychologist or counselor, helping patients view and create art as a therapy to express emotions, deal with difficult circumstances, and heal from past traumas.
As an art therapist, you’ll work with patients with mental health challenges, including chronic pain, depression, PTSD, anxiety, and addiction. You might take patients on an art museum tour one day and lead them in painting a self-portrait the next.
If you’re interested in social service jobs, you might want to look at other jobs in that category, including:
Art Therapist Education and Skills
An art therapist needs an undergraduate degree in either art or psychology and a minor in the other. If your portfolio of studio art is accepted into a graduate program, you then go on to earn your master’s degree in art therapy. An art therapy curriculum can include courses in:
- counseling skills
- art therapy techniques
- neuroscience in art therapy
Before finishing your master’s program, you’ll have a practicum class where you observe art therapists at work. Then you’ll complete an internship and work directly with patients. Depending on where you live, you might be required to have a therapy license to practice as an independent therapist.
Take a look at How to Become an Art Therapist to see what else you might need before you search for art therapy jobs.
Update Your Art Therapy Resume
Even if you’re a recent graduate, you have plenty of information to create an effective resume for art therapist jobs. Your practicum and internship are part of your work history, so add those to your professional experience section. What you learned in your grad classes are skills that you can include in your resume’s skills section. Look at this classic resume example to see how to format a simple and professional resume.
Monster has a cover letter example especially for a recent graduate. If you have a few years of experience under your belt, check out some cover letter examples that will help you get hired.
Interviewing for Art Therapist Jobs
Your hard work has paid off, and you’ve got an invitation for an interview! One of the best ways to prepare and go into the meeting with confidence is to anticipate what questions the hiring manager will ask and take some time to formulate answers that will show you in the best light.
Want to get a head start? Take a look at these potential questions for a psychologist interview and Monster’s suggestions for how to craft your responses. Here are three of the most common interview questions for therapists:
- Why did you choose art therapy as your career?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a therapist?
- How do you stay current on trends in art therapy?
How Much Do Art Therapy Jobs Pay?
According to Monster, the median pay for an art therapist in the U.S. is $22.38 an hour or an annual salary of $46,550. Monster’s Salary Tools will tell you what salary to expect as an art therapist in different parts of the U.S. While you’re on the Salary Tools page, you can also see salaries for related jobs.
Want to Learn More About a Company You’re Interested In?
Monster’s Company Profiles can give insight into a company before applying or interviewing. Look up an organization, and if they’re in our database, you’ll see things like:
- the company size, based on the number of employees.
- awards and accolades they’ve received.
- their latest social media posts.
Paint Yourself Closer to an Art Therapy Job With a Monster Profile
Monster has a full palette of art therapy jobs for you to browse. Expand your job search canvas by first creating a profile on Monster. Recruiters peruse applicant profiles regularly, so make sure yours is in the gallery! Your profile preferences will also let us know which art therapy job openings and career advice to email you.