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Expressive Arts Therapy Minor

Related Career Fields

Select a career field below to see some of the various areas it encompasses, types of employers, and some sample occupations.

Art Therapy

Career Areas

  • Mental Health
  • Rehabilitation
  • Counseling
  • Psychotherapy

Employers

  • Hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • Mental health facilities
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Community agencies and centers
  • Schools, colleges, and universities
  • Correctional facilities
  • Domestic violence and homeless shelters
  • Art studios
  • Private practice

General Information

  • Take courses in art, as well as courses in psychology, social work, education, and child and family studies.
  • Volunteer in a rehabilitation setting.
  • Learn to work well with many types of people and develop excellent communication skills.
  • Cultivate a strong sense of empathy, patience, and interpersonal skills.
  • Learn to work in a team environment.
Rehabilitation

Career Areas

  • Individual and group counseling
  • Vocational counseling
  • Assessment
  • Program development
  • Program evaluation
  • Advocacy/Intervention
  • Administration
  • Grant writing

Employers

  • Hospitals
  • Residential treatment facilities
  • Drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs
  • Group homes
  • Nursing homes
  • Assisted/independent living facilities
  • Senior centers
  • Adult service programs
  • Therapeutic recreation centers
  • College/university disabilities offices
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Department of Social Services
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
  • Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Correctional facilities
  • Probation services

General Information

  • Gain practical experience working with people who have physical disabilities, the elderly, veterans, adolescents, and families.
  • Become familiar with human development and issues specific to aging and disabilities.
  • Volunteer with agencies providing services to these populations such as Meals on Wheels, Project Live, etc.
  • Seek knowledge of assessment procedures and therapeutic recreational activities.
  • Obtain a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling to increase marketability (not required but preferred).
  • Research government and community resources available for those in need.
  • Expect to work on multidisciplinary teams.
  • Obtain certification as a rehabilitation counselor (CRC) through the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC).
School Counseling

Career Areas

  • Elementary
  • Middle school
  • High school
  • College/Career planning
  • Student services
  • Administration

Employers

  • Public and private schools, K-12
  • Departments of Education

General Information

  • Earn a master’s degree in school counseling.
  • Gain experience through mentoring, tutoring, or volunteering with a school-based organization.
  • Acquire knowledge of stressors unique to children and families.
  • Plan to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams: teachers, social workers, school administrators, therapists, and others.
  • Become familiar with various assessments and evaluations utilized in educational settings.
  • Obtain certification as a National Certified School Counselor (NCSC) through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).
  • Join professional organizations such as American School Counselor Association (ASCA) to learn more about the field.
Mental Health

Career Areas

  • Individual counseling
  • Group counseling
  • Case management
  • Crisis intervention
  • Program planning
  • Administration
  • Advocacy/Intervention
  • Religious-based/Pastoral counseling
  • Diagnostic specializations (e.g., Eating Disorders, Grief, Trauma)
  • Hypnotherapy/EMDR
  • Animal-assisted Equine Expressive Arts (e.g., Music, Art, Dance, Play, Meditation)
  • See other areas of specialty below

Employers

  • Residential treatment facilities
  • In/Outpatient psychiatric care units
  • Mobile crisis units
  • Hospitals
  • Behavioral health programs
  • Social service agencies
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Religious and pastoral organizations
  • Hospices
  • Child guidance clinics
  • Family planning centers
  • Adult service programs
  • Group homes
  • Public and private schools
  • Private or group practices
  • Armed Forces
  • Department of Child and Family Services
  • Department of Corrections
  • Department of Human Services
  • Department of Mental Health
  • Department of Justice
  • Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Correctional facilities

General Information

  • Obtain a master’s degree in mental health counseling or related area.
  • Gain practical experience with children, families, and individuals with mental health issues.
  • Become familiar with government and community resources available for those in need.
  • Volunteer with a local social service organization to test interest in working with different populations or presenting problems.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow professionals in a variety of fields.
  • Participate in community events to become familiar with local organizations and community members.
  • Develop strong communication, listening, and organizational skills, along with a sense of empathy.
  • Learn to work well with different types of people.
  • Cultivate multicultural and diversity competence.
  • Develop the ability to work well under pressure and manage stress.
  • Research government hiring procedures and state licensure regulations.
Human Services

Career Areas

  • Counseling
  • Psychotherapy
  • Applied behavior analysis
  • Art therapy
  • Music therapy
  • Case management
  • Mental health services
  • Direct care continued:
    • Physical health and wellness
    • Crisis work
    • Rehabilitation services (e.g., speech, physical, vocational therapies)
    • Performance enhancement
    • Testing/Assessment
    • Law enforcement
    • Advocacy
    • Programming
    • Community relations
    • Management
    • Development/Fund raising
    • Grant writing

Employers

  • Health and Human Services
  • Veterans Affairs
  • State government:
    • Departments of Mental Health
    • Departments of Human Services
    • Departments of Justice
  • Community mental health centers
  • State psychiatric hospitals
  • Facilities for individuals with intellectual impairments
  • Boards of probation and parole
  • Local government
  • Senior citizens’ centers
  • Nursing homes
  • Social service/nonprofit organizations
  • Religiously-affiliated service organizations
  • Hospitals/healthcare providers
  • Private psychiatric facilities
  • Outpatient clinics
  • Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
  • College and university counseling centers and career centers
  • Pain clinics
  • Rehabilitation facilities
  • Testing centers
  • Private practice

General Information

  • Obtain essential practical experience through part-time or summer jobs such as camp counselor, tutor, or resident hall advisor.
  • Complete an internship for academic credit.
  • Gain experience through volunteering with organizations such as crisis hotlines, Big Brother or Sister, Special Olympics, service groups, etc.
  • Learn to work well with different types of people.
  • Develop strong communication skills.
  • Cultivate the desire to help others.
  • Earn a minor in a specialized field of interest (e.g., child & family studies, sociology, or political science).
  • Take courses to build valuable counseling-related skills (e.g., techniques of counseling).
  • Become fluent in a second language to serve clients who may not speak English.
  • Be willing to relocate for increased job opportunities.
  • Acquire knowledge of government and community resources available for those in need.
  • Earn graduate degrees in psychology, counseling, or social work for positions involving substantive counseling or psychotherapy or for advancement into administrative/supervisory positions.
  • Maintain an excellent academic record and seek experiences valued by graduate programs.

Join Organizations

Being active in both student and professional organizations can help boost your career. You'll have the opportunity to network with and learn from peers, mentors, and professionals. Working within these groups helps build leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. You'll gain hands-on experience, showing employers your proactive attitude and commitment to growth, making you a stronger job candidate.

Student Organizations

Check out the organizations listed below, search Laker Life, or talk with a Career Coach to find others.

Join a Professional Organization

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Learn about Careers

View videos of professionals describing their roles and what a day on the job is like. Browse a wide variety of career paths and industries. 

General Guidelines and Strategies

  • It is critical to develop desirable skills through internships, part-time or summer jobs, or volunteer experiences.
  • Continue learning about environmental and human needs.
  • Develop good verbal and written communication skills, interpersonal skills, reading comprehension skills, and leadership skills.
  • A bachelor’s degree is valuable for entry-level positions, but an advanced degree is usually necessary to attain competitive, upper-level positions.
  • Take courses in art, as well as courses in psychology, social work, education, and child and family studies.
  • Volunteer in a rehabilitation setting.
  • Gain practical experience working with people who have physical disabilities, the elderly, veterans, adolescents, and families.
  • Become familiar with human development and issues specific to aging and disabilities.
  • Cultivate multicultural and diversity competence.
  • Acquire knowledge of government and community resources available for those in need.

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Phone: 315-312-2255 
Email: [email protected]

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