The Parent Coach

Recently, I was listening to the Wise Counsel podcast (available on iTunes or through mentalhelp.net), hosted by Dr. David Van Nuys. The May 15th episode includes an interview with Steven Richfield, PsyD, on the Parent Coach method of working with children, especially those who carry a diagnosis of ADHD and/or Asperger’s. What caught my attention most about the Parent Coach program is the inclusion of 20 pictorial/verbal cards that educate both child and parent on issues of socialization, emotional regulation and self-esteem, etc… And then, the potential art therapy application at the end of the interview:

David: Are you continuing to generate new cards? Is this evolving? Will there be a second deck or an enlarged deck?

Steven Richfield: I have countless other cards. What I haven’t done is I haven’t taken the next step, which is to publish them as I did the first 20 cards, but what I have is maybe another 100 that I’ve written with children since then.

David: Oh, wow.

Steven Richfield: And I find that having the first 20, if it’s in your office as a psychologist, gives your child patients the inspiration to develop their own and take ownership that way.

David: Oh, that’s fascinating. I like that idea.

Steven Richfield: I think it’s actually more valuable for the child when they see their own artwork.

FUSION Volume 2

Check out the lastest version of FUSION, the free online publication by the Art Therapy Alliance and the IATO. In this issue:

  • Introducing: Art Therapy Without Borders, Inc.
  • Art Therapy Alliance-IATO Updates, News, Resources
  • Professional Identity: Considerations for Art Therapy
  • Art Therapy Research: Call for Participants & Information
  • Art Therapy Alliance Subgroups on LinkedIn
  • International Art Therapy Organization Online Resources
  • Combat Paper Project on the Go!
  • News Links & Trending Topics
  • On the Grid
  • Create Corner: Art Journaling
  • FUSION Features Section: Art Therapy and Children
  • Stay Connected!

  • Art Therapy as a Second Career

    Below is an email conversation between a reader, Lynn, and I:

    Hi Liz,

    I stumbled upon your blog as I’m debating whether to go back to school for art therapy. I basically have a week or so to put my application together in order to have a shot of starting grad school again this fall.

    I have a masters in art education, and I’ve been teaching art in the south Bronx in New York for almost two year. Working with the kids in the Bronx made me realize art education isn’t enough for some of these children. Many kids come from unstructured and broken families which caused a lot of behavioral problems. Some of their behaviors are so disruptive to the point that I can’t teach on a regular basis. After almost two years of teaching, I’ve finally became okay with those disruptive kids who are not able to meet the objective of the lesson; as long as they aren’t being unsafe or disruptive, that’s all the matters to me right now. However, at the same time, part of me feel guilty for not being able to provide those kids art because of their difficult behaviors as they are probably the ones who need art the most of all. It made me wonder how would it be like to provide art therapy for these children, and what it would be like to combine art education and art therapy together in the classroom. I’m not sure if anyone has done things like this before, and I’m just wondering what your thoughts are. I just want to be sure this is something that I’m interested enough in to invest another two years in school. A friend of mine mentioned that some people who work as an art therapist get warped up emotionally which could make their job seem depressing as they are emotionally affected. I just wonder if I have what it takes to work in art therapy.

    Any thought and suggestion you may have, I would much appreciate it. Thanks Liz! Hope to hear from you soon.

    Best,
    Lynn

    Hey Lynn,

    Your question is a really good one.

    I think being an art therapist in a school setting (and there are lots of school art therapists out there!) won’t be that much different from what you’re already doing, except that you’ll be coming from a different perspective. In other words, your primary responsibility will be therapeutic services and case management, rather than teaching. You won’t be seeing as much of the “normal” or “well adjusted” kids that you currently work with. As a school art therapist you’d primarily be working with the disruptive ones (which is why they’ll be referred to you in the first place).

    That being said, I used to work with kids in a community mental health center, all of whom had behavioral problems in schools, but somehow most of them didn’t exhibit those behaviors during 1:1 therapy sessions or groups sessions. For the most part, they were redirectable and respectful. I think maybe that had to do with the nature of art therapy—you’re not trying to “teach” anything in particular. No curriculum. Rather, you’re allowing the client to explore the materials, while offering a contained environment and unconditional positive regard. For example, if you know the kid you’re working with gets easily frustrated and then angry, you wouldn’t work with something that takes lots of patience to learn and execute. You would stick to markers and colored pencils, and make sure whatever the client was doing, he’d be successful. When children are given the opportunity to do what they want artistically to express themselves, while at the same time feeling supported by the therapist, wonderful things can happen. Perhaps some of the behavior difference also had to do with the client/staff ratio. It’s also much easier for a child to feel supported when they’re alone with the therapist, or with 5-10 kids, in a group setting. As you know all too well, class sizes are at least double that, and kids that are needy, easily stimulated or socially fragile have great difficulty in that kind of environment.

    On the other hand, something that is often frustrating for therapists is that the kids they work with go home to chaotic environments. It can feel like all the emotional and social learning that took place during therapy gets undone at the end of the day. This is something that all therapists who work with kids in an outpatient (or school environment) have to come to terms with, and tends to be a hot topic in supervision, where the art therapy intern (or post-grad) talks with a more senior therapist for advice. Lots of times school therapists also meet with the families, and my provide family therapy with the child present. That can be a difficult experience too because you’re meeting the disfunction head on. Some families may not be interested in changing what’s going on in the home. Also, it’s certainly true that therapists can take on emotional residue from what goes on in session. Self-care, supervision, art-making and your own therapy can help to let go of difficult emotions transferred to you during the day.

    So…I guess my point is that being a therapist is an emotionally demanding job. Just like teachers, therapists tend to have high burn-out rates. The fact that you have your eyes open because you already work in a helping profession is good because you understand firsthand how difficult front-line work can be. Everyone comes to terms with these realities in their own way, and usually the thing that gets us through is seeing the good part of our jobs—when a client does connect with you, grow, and learn something about themselves and the world. Thankfully, the amazing part of working with kids is that they are programmed to grow and learn innately. It’s more likely to see that kind of good stuff (on a continuous basis) with kids than it is with other (adult) populations.

    I hope this helps Lynn! Good luck in your decision making :) You can always apply and think about it some more while you wait for the acceptance letter.

    Regards,
    – Liz

    Hi Liz,

    Thank you so much for your speedy response! Just few more questions…

    How long have you been an art therapist? Do you see yourself continuing working in the art therapy field for a while?

    I understand that some schools takes more psycho dynamic approaches to therapy and some places more emphasis on humanistic approaches. What are the differences?

    Best,
    Lynn

    Hey Lynn,

    I’ve been an art therapist for 3 years, but if you include my internships, it’s more like 5.

    I really love what I do! But, just like being a teacher, there’s the sense that you work really hard for not that much pay….although, going into private practice can be a lucrative venture (if you set it up right). Same with being a health care administrator. But, those are things that are way down the road for me.

    I hesitate to answer the question regarding whether I see myself long-term in the art therapy field, because I’m in the process of rethinking my goals…and much of that has to do with the ridiculous bureaucracy in California when it comes to state licensure. California is in the process of making a new license for Professional Counselors, which is usually the license art therapists practice under. CA was the last state to make this law, and they’re making it extremely difficult for people who already hold an out of state masters degree to obtain the license (I got my degree in Philadlephia). So…I’m worried that I may not get a license here, and will need to move to another state if I want to continue practicing art therapy. This is not something that you would have to contend with in NY, because there is a specific license for art therapists in your state, although I’m not up-to-date on all the schtick about art therapy and NY state. I suggest contacting an art therapist in NY to see what the bureaucratic pitfalls are.

    So…when it comes to psychodynamic vs. humanistic approaches, below is my opinion:

    Art therapy was founded in the principals of psychodynamic theory by Margaret Naumburg, who called what she was doing Art Psychotherapy. Around the same time, however, Edith Kramer founded a more humanistic/person centered approach to art therapy, Art as Therapy. So, the practice of art therapy is on a spectrum between Art Psychotherapy and Art as Therapy. There is a time and place for both, and therefore it’s important to have experience with both.

    For me (and I suspect for you as well, since you’re already an art teacher), Art as Therapy came natural to me. It’s based on the principal that making art and being supported by an attuned art therapist will, by nature, facilitate self expression and healing. The psychodynamic part, however, requires lots of reading, training and practice before mastering (and it does take a lifetime to master). That’s not to say that one doesn’t need practice at staying attuned to our clients, because that also takes a lifetime to master. But, for me, I cannot imagine being an art therapist without the rigorous training on the psychotherapeutic aspects of the human psyche.

    The school I went to (Drexel) was very psychodynamically oriented, and this annoyed many of the people in my cohort. However, by the second year, other ways of approaching clients were discussed, including humanistic. And I don’t see why someone can’t come from a place of understanding art therapy from a psychodynamic perspective, while at the same time being client centered—giving the clients unconditional positive regard and meeting them where they’re at. In fact, at Drexel “meeting the client where they’re at” was a mantra in our courses. In other words, being in a psychodynamically oriented program doesn’t mean that they train you to put the client on the couch and say nothing during sessions. Also, the more learning you do about other philosophies and ways of practicing therapy, the more you can integrate these ideas into your practice. Most students don’t have a clear idea of what philosophies resonate most with them until they’re at the end of their studies/internships, and this continues to develop once you’re a practicing professional.

    I encourage you to visit the schools you’re thinking of attending—meet the director of the program, talk to students, see what the classes are like. This will help narrow down what school works best for you.

    Regards,
    – Liz

    Find Artx Directives

    Carol McCullough-Dieter recently came out with a new website/service called, Find Art Directives, which allows professionals to browse and organize art therapy directives. What a great idea! I checked it out recently, and noticed that the information available on the site is rather sparse, but as people begin using the site and imputing the directives they know of and use, the site will certainly become more useful.

    That being said, the usability of the site still needs a bit of work. For example, looking around, it was difficult to figure out how to add a directive to the database, which is a bit of an issue for a database driven website! Here’s how you do it: once you’re logged in (you must request a user name and password to enter the site), go to My Favorites, and in green you’ll see Create a New Directive. Personally, I think Create a New Directive should be it’s own tab, on the top of the website, since without people adding info to the database, the website will be inadequate.

    I’m also disappointed with how limited the choices are when adding an art directive. For example, the media types offered (in a check box format) is limited to traditional media only. No photography. No digital media. No fiber art. Also, the number of diagnoses available to check off is extremely minimal. Only substance abuse/dependence, PTSD, borderline, depression and sexual abuse. What about developmental disability? Bipolar? Schizophrenia? OCD? Maybe the answer to covering a wide range of topics is allowing the person who is imputing the info about the art therapy directive to had his/her own tags manually, while a list of commonly used tags are available just below—similar to what’s found on a WordPress blog when you’re writing a post.

    With a few tweaks to the website, I think Find Art Directives will be a useful resource for art therapists. I remember one of my art therapy internship supervisors had a box of index cards with art therapy directives written on each, making it easier to keep the group ideas coming. This is especially important when working with the same population over a longer period of time, keeping art therapy groups fresh and exciting.

    Art Therapists & Their Artwork

    Check out this discussion on the Art Therapy Alliance page on LinkedIn (you must be a member to view):

    Carly Sullens asks,

    I am wondering about art therapists who are also artists who sell their work. What do we need to be aware of as clinicians when clients or interested or even buy our work?

    This question generated a lively discussion about art therapist, their artwork and ethics.

    As you may have noticed I have an artwork page on my blog. This is my response to the Carly’s question, although my focus is not on clients buying my artwork, but rather, seeing my artwork as a part of this blog:

    I write a blog and have an artwork section, where I posted several personal pieces relating to my personal identity and struggle—mainly having to do with health related issues.

    When I was studying art therapy, the program I attended emphasized psychodynamic theory, in which the blank slate was very much encouraged. As I began practicing art therapy, however, I found myself naturally gravitating more towards the humanistic side. I wondered whether, if I was the client, would I be able to relate and be open with someone who was never somewhat open with me about their perspectives and struggles? Also, because I’m young, which some people interpret as having minimal life experience, I find it important (at times) to reveal a small part of who I am in order to gain trust and encourage a therapeutic connection. That being said, I don’t advertize my blog to the clients I work with, and none have mentioned my writing or artwork to me. Similar to what others have said, if my clients asked about my artwork, I would process this, just as I would process anything else they brought into the session.

    Another reason I made an artwork page on my blog is that I wanted to show other art therapists a piece of who I am, hopefully making a connection to my readers. I realize that some people who look at my blog are also prospective students or people who are interested in seeing an art therapist for their own therapy. The artwork page, along with my writing, may help to demystify what art therapy is without showing the artwork of the clients I work with, which is another huge ethical grey area—one that is worthy of it’s own discussion.

    If down the road it seems that my ethical judgment was unfounded, it would certainly be a learning experience and something to be shared with other art therapists. In this world of technology and social networking the concept of privacy is changing, and so is the idea of separating personal and professional lives. Everyone with an internet presence now lives in a “small town”, since everyone can access multiple dimensions of everyone else’s lives with the click of a mouse (or, if you have an iPad, a press of the finger).

    We may not be able to foresee all the pros and cons of this topic until years down the road, when more learning/experience has developed. However, the first step towards a deeper understanding of this question lies with these types of discussions. Thank you Carly!

    Considering Art Therapy in California

    Here’s a question that was emailed to me by Nicole A. and was posted with her permission;

    Liz,
    I have been considering Art Therapy as a career path. I love both art and psychology and thought that it would be a great way to combine my passions. I work full-time, have two kids and a mortgage, so I’m only able to take a few classes at a time. Once I finish my AA, and both of my kids are in school, I will be able to transfer to SJSU and be a full-time student. I have read that to be a registered art therapist, you must have your master’s. I just wanted to know if I will be able to find work in the feild after I earn my BA, while working on my master’s. I want to set my goals high, but because of my responsibilities I want to be realistic. I’m also curious what kind of salary an art theraptist with a private practice in California might earn on average?




    Hey Nicole,

    You definitely need a masters degree to be an art therapist. In California, most art therapy masters programs offer the option of being on a license track for an MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist). Having a state license is absolutely essential for both your job and earning prospects, so getting a dual MFT and art therapy degree is a very good option.

    A new law passed in ’09 making LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) an option for CA licensure too. The LPCC isn’t available until next year, so I doubt any schools will be advertising this at the moment, but by the time you finnish your BA, I’m sure an LPCC track will be available as well.

    Also, you don’t nessesarily need a masters in art therapy to ultimately become an art therapist. For example, you can have a masters degree in Nursing or Social Work and then go for a bit more schooling, pursuing an Art Therapy certificate. For example, NDNU has a Post Masters Advanced Standing option, where you take an extra 30 credits after you complete a masters degree in a related field. Nursing or social work are good options; A nurse’s earning potentials in California is quite high—especially if you have an RN (registered nurse) license and work as a supervisor or in administration. Social Workers have a lot of respect in the California mental health community and job opportunity, although many positions are looking for either an MFT or LCSW (Licensed Social Worker).

    I dont work in private practice so I couldn’t tell you accurately about salary expectations. What I do know is that if you’re interested in serving underprivileged populations, meaning that you’ll be accepting medicare or medical as payment, you will earn very very little money. I attended a seminar once where the art therapist in private practice joked that she envies the Starbucks worker, because they probably make more money than she does—and with less stress. That being said, if you decide not to accept insurance, and only out of pocket pay, I think your earning potential can be rather high…but one must consider how long it takes to develop the clientele. For this reason, many people work part time in a “regular” job while developing their private practice.

    In California, as an unlicensed art therapist (for example, while you’re completing your post masters training hours to become licensed, which takes about 2 years) you can expect to make about $30-40,000. As an art therapist with an MFT license, you can expect around $45,000-65,000 depending on where you work…maybe more. Working for the government (the VA or for the county) is much more lucrative than a non-profit. RNs can make between 65-80k easy. I’m not sure if having an art therapy credential would raise your earning potential as an RN, but it would certainly open some interesting doors!

    Good luck with your pursuits and much respect for going back to school with 2 kids. My mom got her BA in nursing and then her MA in education while I was growing up. It was tough for her, but it was certainly worth it!

    Regards
    – Liz

    Arts and Science Reading

    Taken from Science Daily, here are some articles that got me thinking. Hopefully you’ll find them inspirational too.

  • 2006: A study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that art therapy can reduce a broad spectrum of symptoms related to pain and anxiety in cancer patients.

  • 2008: Art Therapy Useful to Treat Mental Disease

  • 2009: Drawing Enhances Verbalization In Children Of Drug-Addicts

  • January 2010: Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: Program Uses Art to Engage at-Risk Kids and Identify Needs

  • 2009: 3-D Printing Hits Rock-Bottom Prices With Homemade Ceramics Mix

  • 2006: Scientists Develop Artwork That Changes To Suit Your Mood

  • 2009: Do Computers Understand Art?