Is Art Therapy in Indianapolis an Untapped Market?

If you’re looking for someone to provide art therapy in Indianapolis, you may have to do some digging. This good news for an artistic person with a passion for both creating art and counseling those in need. This is especially true for those who also have the drive, determination and confidence to capitalize on this specialized talent.

As a relatively unknown treatment model, art therapy offers patients with mental health problems a unique medium for intervention. Based in the theory that creating art provides an avenue for dealing with a host of psychological issues, art therapy stands as a distinctive practice in its field.

Art therapists, according to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), are masters-level providers specially trained in the areas of psychology and psychotherapy, counseling, multiculturalism, human growth and development, and the theories of art therapy. They offer their services to people of all ages, from early childhood through the elderly, and in settings as diverse as inpatient facilities, government agencies, and private practice. Art therapists are trained in a variety of artistic mediums.

Patients benefiting from this treatment approach include those whose disorders have physiological origins, including anxiety and depression; those suffering the loss of a loved one; families or other significant relationships undergoing strain or trauma; abuse victims; and patients dealing with the physical disabilities or neurological problems. This is by no means an exhaustive list of those patients who may benefit from the services offered by a trained art therapist.

A simple search for art therapy in Indianapolis or the surrounding areas, however, leaves very few options. While many clinics or private practices advertising "holistic" approaches to care indicate that they offer art therapy services, many in fact do not identify their employees as certified art therapists.

So where should the budding art therapist turn?

In Indianapolis, there are undergraduate programs offered through local community colleges which lay the ground work for advanced education. Both the University of Indianapolis and Marian College offer such four-year programs, though to become registered by the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) students must also complete a master’s program as well. In Indiana, the only institute to offer an advanced degree in art therapy is St. Mary-of-the-Woods College near Terre Haute, about an hour west of Indianapolis. This program is unique in that the majority of the course work is completed online, requiring only a few intensive on-campus "residencies" throughout. Other online programs are also available, though students wishing to pursue this non-traditional route are advised to do their homework before enrolling to be certain that their program is recognized by the AATA.

If life as a "starving artist" sounds a little too risky for you, then consider pairing your creativity with an opportunity to help those suffering from mental heath problems. The investment you make now in bringing art therapy to Indianapolis may not only benefit countless patients, but could make you an invaluable resource to other healthcare providers as well – a potentially lucrative career move in these economically challenging times.

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