Becoming an Art Therapist in Texas: What You Need to Know

The decision to become an art therapist is often a winding road for many-- for myself, I had already graduated college and was in the workforce for a while before I had even heard of art therapy. For others, it's a second career with many years and lots of life in between undergraduate and graduate school. As awareness about art therapy increases, so does its demand, and the opportunity for future practitioners to discover the field earlier in their academic career. In Texas, to practice as an art therapist independently, you are also required to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. This process can feel a bit overwhelming, but taking some time to plan your course and connecting with other professionals in the field are great supports to help you navigate each step! In total, you can expect that it will take about 8 years or so from beginning of bachelor's degree to your full credential, or about 4 years from beginning of master's degree to full credential.

To start- let's define Art Therapy:

Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses the art making process, applied psychological theory, counseling approaches, and the final art product to help individuals experiencing various psychological, emotional, and interpersonal challenges. Art therapy can be found in a variety of settings including behavioral health settings, schools, community organizations, and healthcare environments. Art therapists require specialized training and a Master's degree is considered the entrance into the profession. Additional work to become a Registered, board certified, and/or licensed art therapist requires additional steps.

Steps to become an Art Therapist in Texas:

1. Earn a Bachelor's Degree: Many individuals who become art therapists have a bachelor's degree in art, art education, psychology, or another related field. You should be sure to take some art courses and psychology courses as there are certain prerequisites for graduate studies.
   

2. Gain Experience: Be sure to gain some experience in a helping profession in some capacity. Art therapy can be attractive as a potential job because it involves the art making process, however, working with people in a therapeutic setting has its own difficulties. Interpersonal effectiveness, adherence to ethical codes, and administrative skills are vital in the art therapy profession. Additionally, art therapy invites people to explore personal challenges which include trauma, addiction, chronic illness, and grief and loss. It's important to be aware of your own life experiences as you help others navigate their own. Engaging in personal therapy is, if not essential, is one of the most helpful self-care endeavors you can do as you seek to become an art therapist.
   

3. Complete a Master's Program: There are accredited Master's programs throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, but unfortunately, not in Texas! The American Art Therapy Association has a list of accredited programs. Some hybrid programs include virtual and residency components are available as well. An important component of your Master's program will be your Practicum (or Clinical Internship). This internship will include hours that you work under the supervision of an art therapist at a site that provides art therapy. This is an important part of your education as these practicum experiences are the "training wheels" so to speak of your future work as an art therapist.
   

4. Find a Supervisor: Once you graduate, hopefully you are going to be working in Texas, because this information is specific to only Texas. The Art Therapy Credentials Board is the credentialing body for registered and board certified art therapists (ATR, ATR-BC), and art therapy supervisors (ATCS). The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council is the organization that manages counseling licenses in Texas. It is my recommendation for those hoping to practice art therapy in Texas to try to find a supervisor who can provide supervision for BOTH your LPC and ATR at the same time. You'll be looking for someone with the credentials : LPC-S, ATR-BC, ATCS. Th
   

5. Apply for your ATR-P & Take the National Counseling Exam (NCE): You will want to apply for an Art Therapist Registered-Provisional credential. As an ATR-P, you show to prospective employers that you have the qualifications necessary to provide art therapy and you are working under the supervision of a credentialed supervisor. When you take your NCE to become an Licensed Professional Counselor- Associate (LPC-Associate) You will hopefully pass and then send your application materials to the BHEC to start accruing your post-graduate supervision hours for both your ATR and your LPC.
   

6. Complete your Post-Graduate Hours & Supervision: To become an ATR you will need 1000 hours of direct client contact (facilitating art therapy work) and 100 hours of supervision by an art therapist. To become an LPC you will need 3,000 hours of supervised experiencing with 1,500 of those hours as direct client contact (facilitating art therapy or counseling work). You will also be required to complete 4 hours of supervision per month with your LPC supervisor (time spent with your supervisor reviewing your work, cases. and any challenges you may be experiencing in the process). Once your hours are all complete, you will file your ATR paperwork with the ATCB and your LPC paperwork with the BHEC and wait excitedly for your registration and license number.
   

7. Apply to take the Art Therapy Board Certification Exam: As I mentioned before, in Texas, you are required to be an ATR-BC as well as an LPC in order to be eligible to apply for the state's special art therapy designation of LPC-AT (Licensed Professional Counselor- Art Therapist). The ATCB Certification Exam is an exam that measures an art therapist's proficiency in the field, knowledge of the field's history, theoretical approaches, and ethical code. You will apply to take this exam with the ATCB and be given a testing window to take your test. Hopefully, you will have prepared well and pass the first time- and then you will be issued a certificate as a board certified art therapists.

At this stage, you've completed the steps- you can go forth and do good work! Remember, the learning journey doesn't stop once you have your license and credentials, you must continue learning as the field grows and new research emerges. LPC's are required to complete continuing education every year and ATR-BC's are required to complete continuing education every year and re-certify their credential every 5 years.

If you, like me, feel a bit overwhelmed when looking at the whole of the process, do not lose heart. Trust the process! Each stage and step is meant to safeguard you and your clients.

This list of steps is by no means exhaustive, comprehensive or absolute. Check out the links in the body of the blog to go further into detail!