Dance/movement therapist here! I love watching your videos and love that you’re giving a spotlight to the creative arts therapies. However, I think it’s really misleading to state that any therapist can do “art therapy” by utilizing these art prompts. Art therapy, like other creative arts therapies, requires specialized training and credentialing, as Chelsea and Kailah mentioned having received. Any therapist can utilize creativity and “therapeutic artmaking” with their clients. However acknowledging that art therapy is a distinct and specialized therapy helps contribute to its recognition and legitimization. As a dance/movement therapist I run into the same thing all the time - by all means, therapists can incorporate the body and movement into their client work (which can make for a much more holistic and healing experience imo). However to call it dance and/or movement therapy is unethical. That takes away from the very specialized training and expertise that dance/movement therapists work for years to gain! :) Great video otherwise and would love to see more videos about this topic.
Thanks for the comment! After talking to some other art therapists, we added the note/disclaimer in the episode description: "The American Art Therapy Association website clearly defines and explains that to be an art therapist, one MUST attend a master’s level program in the field of art therapy, but it’s important to realize that any therapist can incorporate art into their practice."
Dance/movement therapist here! I love watching your videos and love that you’re giving a spotlight to the creative arts therapies. However, I think it’s really misleading to state that any therapist can do “art therapy” by utilizing these art prompts. Art therapy, like other creative arts therapies, requires specialized training and credentialing, as Chelsea and Kailah mentioned having received. Any therapist can utilize creativity and “therapeutic artmaking” with their clients. However acknowledging that art therapy is a distinct and specialized therapy helps contribute to its recognition and legitimization. As a dance/movement therapist I run into the same thing all the time - by all means, therapists can incorporate the body and movement into their client work (which can make for a much more holistic and healing experience imo). However to call it dance and/or movement therapy is unethical. That takes away from the very specialized training and expertise that dance/movement therapists work for years to gain! :) Great video otherwise and would love to see more videos about this topic.
Thanks for the comment! After talking to some other art therapists, we added the note/disclaimer in the episode description: "The American Art Therapy Association website clearly defines and explains that to be an art therapist, one MUST attend a master’s level program in the field of art therapy, but it’s important to realize that any therapist can incorporate art into their practice."