By Mylaika Stephenson
NDMU’s accredited bachelors and master’s Art Therapy program, created in 2018, has gained statewide attention and accolades. The program was spotlighted on the Maryland Art Therapy Association website. The website explained that the Association “could not be more thrilled” for the creation of the program.
You may be wondering what exactly is Art Therapy? Art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active artmaking, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.
“I chose my major because learning ceramics helped me recover from my post-partum depression,” Andreana Morris is a third year art therapy student said. “I was a psychology major, and I loved the idea of finding where art and psychology met so that I could help others heal through art the way art helped me heal. I chose NDMU because they were starting the program, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Morris enrolled into the five-year program for this major. Many students choose the five-year path because being a practicing art therapist requires a master’s degree. She also emphasized that “art therapists have their own accreditation and licenses so that insurance is billable when working in healthcare. When you graduate from the grad program, you are a licensed therapist, and there are things you can do with the undergrad degree if you need to wait a while to go to grad school.”
If graduate school does not seem like an option, but a person is still interested in an undergraduate degree in art therapy, there are options. You may also complete the graduate program as a part-time or full-time student.
Employment options for art therapists include schools, hospitals, veteran’s clinics, private practices, psychiatric & rehabilitation facilities, Community based settings, and senior communities. No matter the path you take with art therapy your career will be centered around helping others. Which is a huge reason why Morris chose the major. “Art helped me heal, and I want to help others heal through the expressive arts.”
NDMU’s Art Therapy Program is the perfect spot for someone looking for Maryland accreditation. As well as anyone looking to be blend psychology and art into a therapeutic way to aid in the challenge’s others are facing and hoping to conquer. The program is the only one of its kind in this state being a part is a prestigious role and the university is very proud to have this program.
For more information on the NDMU Art Therapy program visit the website here.
Photo Courtesy of ndm.edu
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