Job Responsibilities
I lead therapy groups for mentally ill/mentally retarded adults.
I have a caseload of 10 clients that I provide individual
therapy for, as well as, treatment planning.Half of my day is
spent on paperwork and the other half is spent on meeting with
clients.
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Job Requirements
To become an art therapist a masters degree is required. I went
to Long Island University-CW Post which has a fairly good
program. The professors were excellent and always available to
their students. I felt well prepared when I was hired for my
first job.There is no difficulty getting classes and the
workload is reasonable.
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Uppers
You are able to help others in a creative way. Many clients you will encounter
have never been exposed to art therapy before.
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Downers
Many facilities do not employ art therapists and when the
economy is lagging positions can be cut. Employment can be
difficult to find. When you first graduate, you may have to take
a position as a recreation or activity therapist. Also salary
can be quite low considering the amount of education required.
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Lifestyle
Consider what is important to you in a long term career. Art
therapy can be a very rewarding career. You are able to help
others in a unique way. However, be aware that positions may be
difficulty to find and others may not understand what your role
is. Also remember that salary will not be high. You may want to
considerdual masters program, which would open you to a larger
variety of careers.
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Compensation
Salary for an art therapist out of graduate school is fairly
low. Generally depending on the position you are hired for
salary can range from $14.00-$16.00 per hours and raises are
minimal. In my current position I do not make much more.
Generally depending on the facility you work for there are
health benefits.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Consider what is important to you in a long term career. Art
therapy can be a very rewarding career. You are able to help
others in a unique way. However, be aware that positions may be
difficulty to find and others may not understand what your role
is. Also remember that salary will not be high. You may want to
considerdual masters program, which would open you to a larger
variety of careers.
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