American Art Therapy Association

Advancing art therapy as a regulated mental health profession and building a community that supports art therapists throughout their careers.

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What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy uses active art-making, the creative process, and applied psychological theory—within a psychotherapeutic relationship—to enrich the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

Art therapists are mental health clinicians with Master’s degrees or higher that serve clients in different settings—from medical institutions and schools, to wellness centers and independent practices.

Join Our Community

With our members, AATA has been the leading voice for art therapy for more than 50 years, advocating for the profession, supporting the next generation of art therapists, and advancing mental health for everyone.
Become a member today!

AATA’S 54th Annual Conference

Join us Oct. 25-29
in San Diego!

AATA’s Conference Committee is creating customizable paths of world-class educational programming. This year, we’ll have sessions in all 19 program tracks, from activism and addiction, to technology and trauma.

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Upcoming…

Participate in AATA’s next All Member Meeting, Sept. 27, featuring Megan VanMeter, who will discuss Workplace Bullying

Join us for a CE event on Sept. 23 with Mike Fogel, Giving Unicorns Wings: Creating Ideal Treatment Conditions and Interventions for Neurodiverse Children, Adolescents, and Adults

Preview the AATA2023 Program Guide by Category

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Art Therapy Career Center

Job seekers can confidentially post resumes, search current job listings, and get job alerts via email—for free! Employers can post art therapy jobs and review applicant resumes all in one place.

Advertise with Us!

AATA offers a variety of advertising and sponsorship opportunities to help companies and organizations—from graduate programs and professional services to art-supply makers—market to the largest audience of credentialed art therapists and art therapy students.

AATA Online Learning Academy

Earn Continuing Education credits by taking virtual courses taught by some of the world’s leading experts and practitioners in art therapy. Check out our updated and redesigned platform, featuring more than 420 courses, which AATA offers virtually, both live and
on-demand.

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Advocacy

Together with our chapters and members, AATA advocates for the profession, the communities art therapists serve, and mental health care for everyone.

Supporting Art Therapy Licensure

Achieving art therapy licensure is a core part of AATA’s mission. Find out more about how licensure helps protect the public from harm and fraud; and provides title and practice protection for art therapists.

Advancing Mental Health

AATA prioritizes mental health policies—particularly for the communities art therapists serve—and access to mental health care, partnering with other mental health, arts, and education organizations.

Becoming an Advocate

Anyone can advocate for better access to art therapy, improved mental health, the arts, and more! Join us!

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Strategic Plan

Learn how DEI is incorporated in AATA’s 2021 – 2023 Strategic Plan.

Scholarship

Student and professional members are encouraged to apply for research and education scholarships.

DEI Report

Read the findings from the 2021 DEI Listening Sessions and online survey.

DEI Education

Attend CEU-eligible courses on DEI, including “On the DEI Journey with Cultural Humility in the Art Therapy Profession.”

Trending…

An Art Therapy Undergrad’s Experience at the AATA Annual Conference

“Attending the conference helped me realize where I am best suited and empowered me to use my talents to help engage more young people, like me, who need to do [art therapy]. We need more healers in the world.”

Understanding Cultural Contexts through Japanese Printmaking: My Experience as Art Therapist and Artist

“I recently chose Japanese woodblock printmaking, Mokuhanga, as an art medium in order to heal from the cultural identity loss I endured as I experienced assimilation in the United States.”

What Does it Mean to Serve our Members and our Organization?

“I asked myself, what does it mean to serve our members and our organization? I believe the answer is this: it is a way to give back, help guide the future of our profession and help it thrive.”

Red,Heart,Love,Mind,Mental,Flying,Healing,In,Universe,Spiritual

FIND AN ACCREDITED PROGRAM

How to Become an Art Therapist

A Master’s degree is necessary to practice art therapy.
Coursework includes training in the creative process, psychological development, group therapy, psycho-diagnostics, research methods, and multicultural diversity competence.
Art therapy students also must complete 600 hours of supervised clinical internship.

Featured Members

The American Art Therapy Association represents a diversity of professionals, students, and educators. We recognize and celebrate the work of our members at all levels through our Featured Member series.

Megan VanMeter

MA, LPC (AZ), LMHC (IN), LPC-AT/S (TX), ATR-BC

"I earned my master’s degree in art therapy from the University of Louisville, where I learned from Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) co-creators Vija Lusebrink and Sandra (Kagin) Graves-Alcorn. Their tutelage and supervision as I mastered concepts in the classroom and applied them in clinical settings was invaluable."

Jie Shen

M.Ed., ATR-P

"Designing and facilitating art as therapy groups or art psychosocial support groups with resettled refugee women and teens in Colorado especially doing virtual programming in the middle of the pandemic, with a language barrier, technical barrier, and limited art supplies, showed me resilience and hope from the people I work with."

Matthew Chernaskey

MA, ATR

"Social justice issues such as equality for women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA individuals have impacted my work as a cis-male art therapist. Creating a non-judgmental and safe art therapy space for my clients, educating myself on my client’s cultural identity, and taking on a nuanced view of political and social concerns strengthen my ability to advocate for them."

Sonia Castro

MA, ATR, RIC

"Through my continued work with Spanish-speaking clients, a pertinent theme that came to light was the stigmatized view of mental health and therapy.... In understanding that this stigma was pervasive in our community, I adapted my approach and started to carefully address the unspoken hesitations that may have been arising in the therapeutic process."

Makiko Harada (Young)

MA., MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, social justice issues have been on my mind with the rise in violence against Asians. As a Tokyo-born art therapist, I am inspired and motivated by the hate to offer lectures and educate the art therapy community on what we can do about it."

Martina E. Efodzi

M.Div., MA, ATR-BC, LCPAT, LCPC, LPC

"If I could offer advice to someone pursuing a career in art therapy, it would be to invest in your own mental health and wellness. Hurt people hurt others, and healed people are most equipped to accompany others on their own healing journeys. I am a therapist who sees a therapist, and it is my number one, non-negotiable, self-care practice; I could not do the work I do without it."

Newsletter Sign-Up

Sign up for Art Therapy Today, the newsletter of the American Art Therapy Association. Art Therapy Today includes blog posts written by AATA members, news articles related to art therapy, and important updates about the profession—curated especially for you.

Homepage credits:
“Family Reunion,” by Franchesca Lastra Vicente. Acrylic on paper. 2012.