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What is an Arts Therapist?

An Arts Therapist is a psychological therapist who has arts-based experience plus training in psychological interventions using drama, music or art as their primary mode of communication. Arts therapies can help to improve general development, social interaction and communication skills, and support mental and physical rehabilitation.

 

Psychological interventions aim to improve a person’s state of mind and wellbeing; for example, to reduce symptoms such as anxiety, confusion, pain and depression. An Arts Therapist does this by helping the individual to experience themselves and others in different ways through an arts-based activity within a therapeutic framework. Using arts-based psychological interventions is particularly helpful when emotions are too confusing to express verbally; when verbal communication is difficult; or when words are not enough or too much to bear.

 

 

 

What are the key roles of an Arts Therapist?

 

Arts Therapists provide unique psychological therapeutic interventions, supporting clients of all ages - children, adults and older people - facing a range of issues, disabilities or diagnoses. These can include emotional or mental health problems, ranging from depression and psychosis to issues of identity and recovery from addiction or abuse; learning or physical disabilities; developmental disorders; life-limiting conditions, brain injury or neurological conditions, such as a stroke or dementia; or physical illness.

 

Arts Therapists deliver a range of psychological resources, including:

 

• Psycho-social intervention: allowing people to participate in exploring new relationships with other through the arts medium without always having to speak or communicate directly;

 

• Mentalisation-based treatment: an evidence-based approach aiming to help service users understand their own thoughts and the thoughts of others;

 

• Mindfulness: a specific cognitive approach to aid relaxation and alertness, helping to reduce anxiety, pain and intrusive thoughts;

 

• Compassion-based treatment: based on viewing suffering as part of the human condition, aiming to de-pathologise and remove labels thus enabling the exploration of self-compassion processes.

 

Arts Therapists actively participate in multi-disciplinary teamwork and also extend their scope of practice through further training. Working in a wide range of settings - including independent or third sector organisations as well as mainstream health, education and social care services - additional roles involve working with families and carers, carrying out assessments and writing reports, as well as mentoring and

providing supervision to staff.

 

 

 

 

 

Information accessed from HCPC - Health & Care Professions Council.