art therapy and career development
 

I've just located Art Therapy and Career Counseling: Strategies for Art Therapy Job Seekers. by Cathy Malchiodi. I'm wondering if there are any recommendations for other resources on this topic?

thanks! ~Laura

Re: art therapy and career development
 

I am not sure this is a resource but I can give you my 2 cents. Art therapy is still in its pioneering stage in spite of its relatively long history. Most people who are in the position to provide funding for it do not truly understand the power it has to help in the healing of their clients. They see it as a good diversion at best and only if the financial situation is rosy. Art therapists, in my view, have to do everything and more just to be accepted and understood. Many from amongst our ranks are leaving because it is hard to make a living (read my opinion bellow regarding “the future of art therapy”). I think we need to help one another and work together (please read “Art therapist s working together” bellow). At the moment career development is limited to you own resourcefulness and belief in the profession. I have been over the last six years to develop two art therapy programs and to do several workshops in places that had no idea what art therapy was. However, I dare say, if I had put the same painstaking work in getting licensed, board certified and sent my material out in read estate I would now will be very financially comfortable. But I seem not to be able to leave the profession. If took me a very long time to find something that brought all my interests together and Art therapy is a profession that I can do well and passionately believe in. You have to answer a lot of these questions yourself but these are some of the challenges. Ultimately you have to start by the belief that art therapy is a great way to help people and it is the natural way you can involve yourself in the process of healing. Then you go about educating others and attempt to make a decent living.

Re: art therapy and career development
 

Im looking into getting a masters in art theapy. Im not sure what area I want to specialize in as of right now. Its all new to me. I have a BA in Art and would like to intergrate art with helping people. Not too much out there about this profession. Have you heard of Prescott college out in Arizona?? I would be earning a masters degree online. There are no schools around the Dallas area that offers what Im looking for. Plus I work fulltime. It seems a little sketchy to be earning a degree online but I guess a lot of people do it these days. What salaries do people earn in art therapy. From your posting doesnt look like much which is ok. I just want to be able to survive thats all. Give me any helpful info you may have to get me going in the right direction.

Thanks,
Allison Russell