Hi! I saw your post about how you were an art therapy intern. I'm a phyc/theater student considering getting training as a drama therapist and was wondering what drew you to art therapy and what kind of person you would recommend pursue it. Do you find it's more therapy or more art? Do you ever work with drama therapists? Also, what kind of degrees do you have? Thank you!
- From a tense and unsure student
Hello! Thanks for reaching out; you brought some good questions :) Just for some background, I am currently a registered art therapist (ATR), working towards completing my board certification (ATR-BC), and I also hold licensure from my state. I did a double major in psychology and neuroscience with a minor in child and adolescent mental health studies for my undergraduate degree, and my masterâs degree is in art therapy.
Across all creative art therapy modalities, the majority of work on the clinicianâs part is psychological/therapeutic. Practical knowledge of the artistic medium is essential because it helps the clinician decide what interventions would be helpful and effective for their clients, but the therapistâs job before, during, and after sessions mostly focuses on client evaluation+analysis, treatment planning, case management, etc. While Iâve known art therapists who have come from all walks of life, a strong creative arts therapy candidate should be equally well-versed in both their creative medium AND their foundational psychology training.
Some workplaces (like hospitals, youth centers, agencies) hire a variety of creative arts therapists, so drama therapists can find themselves working along arts therapists, music therapists, dance therapists, and the like. Of course, each modality is distinct and requires specialized training to practice, but there can also be a lot of interdisciplinary crossover of the different therapies depending on your client population (ex., kids love to create stories in art therapy and often want to act them out and even create costumes and props, so drama therapy elements get blended in). We also have events like Creative Arts Therapies Day/Week where we can learn from each otherâs disciplines and bring general awareness to our field.
If you want to learn more about whether drama therapy would be a good fit for you, I think it might be a good idea for you to attend an open house/information session for a drama therapy program you have interest in. There is no pressure or expectation of commitment for anyone who attends these events, so it can be an opportunity for you to get a closer look at what drama therapy is. If there arenât any open houses available, you can also directly email the program director/coordinator/appropriate department personnel and ask for a PDF of the information packet they give out at info sessions. Creative arts therapies programs tend to be small, so the faculty are usually more than happy to answer questions from anyone curious about the field.
Sorry for such a long answer, but I hope that some of this may be helpful to you! I wish you the best of luck as you navigate your way forward đ