Art Therapy programs?

[dechanique]

Hello! this is my first time here, and I am a little intimidated, but I would like to ask a question of all you more experienced people: I am looking for an art therapy masters program, inside the USA or outside.

I already have one degree, a bachelors in Psychology from Florida International University. I am currently persuing a second bachelors in Fine Arts with an emphasis on 3D and an additional emphasis on Drawing.

I know I can't live off drawing comics for the rest of my life, so I decided to combine my two favorite loves (psychology and art) and go into art therapy.

There are a few schools I was looking into: School of Visual Arts, George Washington University, University of Herfordshire, Art Institute of Chicago and a few others.

Does anyone attend these schools or know of the programs? Or have any other reccommendations?

I've got another two years before I graduate, so I have time to plan ahead and save money for rooming and tuition.


I tried to search in this forum (the education board) for art therapy and came up empty handed, so my apologies if I did not search properly.

[Seedling]

You know, long ago I had a highschool counselor wrinkle up his nose when I said I wanted to be an artist. He then tried to steer me towards “art therapy” because it seemed like a nice safe career choice. To this day I’m peeved that a counselor would do such a thing.

Art therapy is a far cry from art, and it is a very far cry from illustration. I’m afraid that this is an illustration forum, so you aren’t likely to find information on this subject here.

Good luck on your search.

[Seedling]

I know I can't live off drawing comics for the rest of my life. . .

How did I overlook this sentence? dech, this forum is populated by artists who have made their careers drawing comics, among other illustrative arts. It is a viable career choice, albeit one that requires a crap-ton of work and a willingness to go off the beaten path educationally and professionally. If you do decide to pursue art without compromise, this is the place to learn.

[Elwell]

Excuse me folks, way to NOT answer the question.
I know I can't live off drawing comics for the rest of my life, so I decided to combine my two favorite loves (psychology and art) and go into art therapy.
Emphasis added.
You know, long ago I had a highschool counselor wrinkle up his nose when I said I wanted to be an artist. He then tried to steer me towards “art therapy” because it seemed like a nice safe career choice. To this day I’m peeved that a counselor would do such a thing.
Don't confuse your attitudes and history with someone else's.
Why not? Don't compromise your dreams in lieu of a 'viable' career choice.
Don't confuse your dreams with someone else's.

[Elwell]

"I know I can't do A, so I'm doing B instead." That's a compromise, so I'm not confusing my dreams with someone else's, really.

But see, there's a difference between between "I know I can't do A," and "I don't believe anybody can do A." Maybe it's "I know I can't do A because that's not really what I want to do."

Anyway, in an attempt to somewhat answer dechanique's question:
I teach at SVA, but I don't really have any information about their art therapy program beyond that it exists and I think it has a pretty good reputation. In choosing a program, I would recommend going someplace that's in an area where you would like to end up living/working, since the connections you make will be most useful then. All other things being equal, I'd choose an art school over a university just because the art part of the program is almost sure to be better.

[Seedling]

Don't confuse your attitudes and history with someone else's.

I don't believe I did.

[dechanique]

Sorry for being unclear, I mean that I can't live off MY COMICS. I draw simple webcomics for my own amusement. I know I couldn't live off MY COMICS.

I like children, and I like working with children. My goal is to eventually move back to my hometown of Miami and start an ESL(i believe that is the abbreviation: english as a second language) art therapy program where I can have a caseload and work in the public schools, helping ESL students, especially those from immigrant families, like my parents. However, Miami offers no art therapy graduate programs, that I am aware of.

While there are many many artists on this board who do live off their art, I do not feel I have the talent nor perserverence to do so based on what I like to do best (draw comics). I like to make my own schedule, and some days I simply do not feel like drawing. I can't live off deadlines and crunch times, I like to work at my own pace- hence making comics for my own amusement instead of as a professional career. If I did start a career of comics, I know that I will burn out very quickly.


SVA was my first choice when it came to art school, but NYC is incredibly expensive, and I couldn't afford to live in the city AND pay tuition. Now I am in a better financial position to save, now that I have a white collar job, which is why SVA fell back into my top choices.

I decided to go into art therapy on my own accord. No one led me in this direction, I discovered that it was a viable career choice while talking to a professor about how much I loved my psychology classes.

I will never stop drawing comics, as I do enjoy them greatly. I do intend to get married and have children, and I will continue with my comics while I am staying at home (until the kids get old enough to go to school and I can have a day job again- for personal preferences I want to raise my children myself, not through a sitter). However, I like working and I like helping people. Nothing gave me more joy than Take Your Daughter to Work Day, where I went to my mothers Kindergarden class and did arts and crafts with the children all day long.

[Seedling]

I decided to go into art therapy on my own accord. No one led me in this direction, I discovered that it was a viable career choice while talking to a professor about how much I loved my psychology classes.


Most excellent! I'm thrilled to hear that this is a career choice you arrived at yourself, and that you are motived to help others. You will be a very important person to those you help.

About the comics. . . life is long, and you may well have more time to explore "extracurricular" interests during your lifetime than you have during college.

[dechanique]

My apologies for being so unclear earlier, english may be my first language, but I still find it difficult to phrase things with the proper emphasis while typing (I am a much better speaker than a writer). I meant no disrespect for those of you who do make a living out of comics.

I have no intention of stopping, I just know that as of right now, I don't think I could handle the demand of a professional career in comics :)

[bijarts]

Hi dechanique!

I am currently doing my art therapy graduate work at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Bringing in the interests of concept design/ illustration, digital art, and animation/ film into the profession along with being a Male has been an interesting journey to say the least;) I would recommend the program in regards to being very studio based compared to more psychoanalytically based programs. I heard SVA, NYU, and George Washington are all good programs as well.

Miami offers no art therapy graduate programs, that I am aware of.


You might be interested in the FSU program if you want to stay in state:
http://www.fsu.edu/~are/pages/arttherapy/aboutus.html

The faculty includes David Gussak and Penny Orr who have done some really interesting research with art therapy and technology.

I would like to discuss more with you, if interested PM me!