Post-Graduate MA Art Therapy

نظرة عامة على البرنامج

This 36-credit post-graduate program prepares professionals with an M.A. in Counseling for a career in art therapy. It aligns with the educational requirements for registration as an Art Therapist and licensure as a Professional Art Therapist (LPAT) in NJ. The program culminates in a comprehensive exam that assesses students' understanding of art therapy principles, practice, and research. Graduates will need additional supervised clinical work to qualify for licensure.

مخطط البرنامج

Degree Overview:

This 36-credit post-graduate program is intended for professionals who already hold an M.A. in Counseling or a closely related mental health field and who are interested in pursuing a career in art therapy. Graduate art therapy courses fulfill the educational requirements for registration as an Art Therapist through the American Art Therapy Association and align with the laws for licensure as a Professional Art Therapist (LPAT) in NJ. Graduates will need additional hours of supervised clinical work to qualify. The academic capstone of the program is a two-part comprehensive exam in the form of a case study supported by peer-reviewed research. The case study provides students with the opportunity to fully integrate counseling and art therapy perspectives and practice through class presentation and comprehensive exam paper. In general, students should be able to demonstrate the following in the comprehensive exam:

• An understanding of the fundamental principles of art therapy practice, including diagnosis, assessment, evidence-based treatment, individual and group process, human development, psychopathology, the role of culture, gender, family, spirituality, and the biopsychosocial bases of behavior, etc.
• An understanding of how the creative process and visual arts promote wellness, healing, and therapeutic change
• An understanding of appropriate use of art-based assessments, interventions, and media as applicable to the treatment process
• A recognition of how client imagery, symbolism, and metaphor communicate thoughts and feelings, challenges and strengths, and support growth and well-being
• An understanding of art therapy research, including experimental, quasiexperimental, and non-experimental designs, particularly as they pertain to treatment of mental/emotional disorders
• An ability to write clearly about assessment and treatment and to communicate concerns effectively

Outline:

Required Courses (24 credits)

• History and Development of Art Therapy
• Art Therapy Methods in Counseling
• Cultural And Social Diversity
• Theory and Application I
• Theory & Application II
• Art-Based Assessment in Counseling
• Counseling with Children and Adolescents for Art Therapists
• Professional Practice
• Group Process

Required Internship Experience (6 credits — 700 Hours)

• Internship I / Art Therapy Specialization Practicum
• Internship II
• Advanced Internship I
• Advanced Internship II

Take One Additional Elective From:

• Treatment of Trauma
• Spirituality in Counseling for Art Therapists
• Seminar in Special Topics
• Research Methods and Statistics
• Biopsychology
• Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling
• Assessment Methods In Counseling
• The School Counselor and Community Resources
• Diagnosis & Treatment Psychopathology
• Counseling Practicum
• Techniques Of Individual Counseling
• Counseling Practice Seminar: Cognitive and Behavior Theories
• Crisis Interventions in Counseling
• Marriage and Family Counseling
• Psychopharmacology
• Career Counseling
• Substance Abuse Counseling
• Issues of Grief in Counseling
• Principles Of Counselor Supervision
• Foundations of Brief Counseling
• Sexual Issues in Counseling
• Advanced Seminar In Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy [REBT]
• Special Topics in Counseling