How to become an Art Therapist

Official title: Art Therapists

Also called: Activity Therapy Specialist, Art Psychotherapist, ATR (Registered Art Therapist), ATR-BC (Board Certified Art Therapist), Clinical Art Therapist, Creative Arts Therapist, Expressive Arts Therapist, Oncology Art Therapist, Therapist

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

Main tasks

• Conduct art therapy sessions, providing guided self-expression experiences to help clients recover from, or cope with, cognitive, emotional, or physical impairments.
• Talk with clients during art or other therapy sessions to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to the artistic process.
• Write treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
• Assess client needs or disorders, using drawing, painting, sculpting, or other artistic processes.
• Design art therapy sessions or programs to meet client's goals or objectives.
• Observe and document client reactions, progress, or other outcomes related to art therapy.
• Develop individualized treatment plans that incorporate studio art therapy, counseling, or psychotherapy techniques.
• Establish goals or objectives for art therapy sessions in consultation with clients or site administrators.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Ways in

• College: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 32 universities in the US
• Licence: A licence is required in 10 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $77,930 a year The middle half earn $58,850 to $105,760.
• About 56,100 people work in this job now, and about 63,200 are projected by 2035. (+12.6%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Occupational Therapists
• Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Radiation Therapists
• Recreational Therapists
• Respiratory Therapists

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Art Therapist?

Ways in include: Creative Arts & Design degrees.

How much does an Art Therapist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $77,930 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $58,850 to $105,760.

Is an Art Therapist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 13% by 2035, from about 56,100 to about 63,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Art Therapist?

Usually. 89% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Art Therapist?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.