Healthcare Practitioners
Art Therapists
Also called: Activity Therapy Specialist, Art Psychotherapist, ATR (Registered Art Therapist), ATR-BC (Board Certified Art Therapist)
US median pay
$77,930
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+12.6%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
3,600
56,100 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Plan or conduct art therapy sessions or programs to improve clients' physical, cognitive, or emotional well-being.
What they do day to day
- Conduct art therapy sessions, providing guided self-expression experiences to help clients recover from, or cope with, cognitive, emotional, or physical impairments.
- Talk with clients during art or other therapy sessions to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to the artistic process.
- Write treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
- Assess client needs or disorders, using drawing, painting, sculpting, or other artistic processes.
- Design art therapy sessions or programs to meet client's goals or objectives.
- Observe and document client reactions, progress, or other outcomes related to art therapy.
- Develop individualized treatment plans that incorporate studio art therapy, counseling, or psychotherapy techniques.
- Establish goals or objectives for art therapy sessions in consultation with clients or site administrators.
- Select or prepare artistic media or related equipment or devices to accomplish therapy session objectives.
- Communicate client assessment findings and recommendations in oral, written, audio, video, or other forms.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.2/5
- Service Orientation3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Systems Evaluation3.1/5
- Systems Analysis3.1/5
- Coordination3.1/5
Knowledge
- Therapy and Counseling5.0/5
- Psychology5.0/5
- Fine Arts4.5/5
- Sociology and Anthropology4.1/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.0/5
- English Language3.6/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree.
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Artistic
Creating, designing and self-expression
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.