Art Therapist

As an art therapist you would be expected to work with people of all ages using all forms of visual arts for the purpose of healing and self development. This sort of position is perfect for someone who has strong Arts and science based educational history, and it could be a great career for someone who has trained in psychotherapy but has a passion for the arts.

Most people undertaking a career such as this will have reached post graduate level, and the ideal degree is one in psychotherapy. You also need to be able to empathise with people and help them to express themselves through the use of artistic expression, so the ability to deal with characters from all walks of life is an essential skill to have.

There are a great many roles and activities to fulfil as an art therapist, which include analysing the patient and determining the necessary needs of the client, working in group environments, assessing the temperaments of the patient to best understand how to treat them, planning a schedule of activities in order that you can work through a day with a clear plan for all of your clients, providing artistic materials, providing guidance in how to use the materials, and most importantly you need to have the encouragement needed to help your clients express themselves freely in the form of art, whilst remembering that it is not the quality of what they produce, rather that the process of production aids self awareness and healing.

If you think that you can handle all of these requirements, and you believe that your educational background serves both the artistic and scientific sides of this position, the job can offer a lot of fulfilment and a good overall financial package. The average salary for this role is between $40 and $55,000 per annum.