Post Master’s Degree in Art Therapy for Clinical Professionals

Program Description 

This Master’s degree is available to clinical professionals who already have at least a Master’s degree in social work, counseling or other clinical degree. The M.A. in Art Therapy/Counseling is the program for those who have not yet earned a Master’s degree in this field.

If you choose to take this as a residential program it can be taken full-time in 1.5 years or longer if you attend part-time. The good news is this program is being offered as a distance program beginning Fall 2020. Furthermore, the “first class” will have the same tuition throughout the program and will receive a scholarship upon enrollment.

Therapists who love the concept of art and healing, and want to expand their repertoire of skills would benefit from this program. The credentialing body for Art Therapy in the United States, the Art Therapy Credentials Board, Inc., states in their application process that “individuals with post-master’s or post-doctoral coursework in art therapy” will indeed be able to obtain the ATR-BC and be fully credentialed as an art therapist.

The Master’s program in Art Therapy for Clinical Professionals offers clinicians the opportunity to engage in self-reflective creativity throughout the entire program. Through experiencing your own artistic processes and engaging in clinical training, you will be equipped to enthusiastically enhance your existing therapeutic client work.

When the program is in a distance learning format, it will be a cohort model, where students will meet with their peers, in-person, during the residencies and interact online through meaningful discussions, sharing art, and collaboration throughout the rest of the year.

This program emphasizes the use of the visual arts as a therapeutic approach in clinical, educational, community and rehabilitation settings. While visual arts is the primary therapeutic modality, the creative process may be supported by class instruction and experiences in the expressive therapies continuum.  

Art Therapy for Clinical Professionals Faculty

More on Art Therapy

For a perspective on obtaining a Post MA degree in art therapy, click below to list to our Southwestern Soundbites. Dru Phoenix, our alum and staff member, speaks to her own experience on acquiring a degree in art therapy after she earned her MA in Counseling and was in the mental health profession for a number of years. When she discovered art therapy …she decided to pursue a “second act” in the field with this training.

Please contact Dru Phoenix, Director of Enrollment Services, if you would like to apply to this program or if you would like more information on program planners.

Program features:

• 62.5 quarter units
• Practicum/Internship
• Capstone Projects
• Transformational, experiential learning approach shared by faculty and students
• Full-time residential program or part-time distance program designed to accommodate working professionals
• 58 unit program