Sarah E. Keenan, ATR-BC, LCAT
What are all those letters?
Art Therapists are held to strict credentialing requirements by national and state organizations. ATR means I am a registered art therapist with the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB). BC means I am board certified by the ATCB. I have passed the national exam. LCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist) means that New York State has licensed me to practice verbal and non-verbal (in my case, art-based) psychotherapy. All of these credentials require a master's degree from an approved program (in my case, Pratt Institute) and post-graduate supervised work.
What is Art-based Psychotherapy?
The Art Therapy Credentials Board describes art therapy as "a human service profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. Art therapy practice is grounded in the knowledge of human development, psychological theories, and counseling techniques."
How True! And kind of broad.
My art-based psychotherapy practice is strengths-oriented. When situations, behaviors, and emotions seem unmanageable, every person has unique strengths to employ. I believe in the benefits of honesty, support, and authentic engagement, and use art making to facilitate these principals.
"But I have no artistic talent"!
Art-based psychotherapy is actually not about making "art". It is about engaging in the therapeutic process, using art making as a tool. Absolutely NO experience required. I have a vast variety of supplies from pencils to clay to textiles. Sometimes we may not even make anything.
Art Therapists are held to strict credentialing requirements by national and state organizations. ATR means I am a registered art therapist with the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB). BC means I am board certified by the ATCB. I have passed the national exam. LCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist) means that New York State has licensed me to practice verbal and non-verbal (in my case, art-based) psychotherapy. All of these credentials require a master's degree from an approved program (in my case, Pratt Institute) and post-graduate supervised work.
What is Art-based Psychotherapy?
The Art Therapy Credentials Board describes art therapy as "a human service profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. Art therapy practice is grounded in the knowledge of human development, psychological theories, and counseling techniques."
How True! And kind of broad.
My art-based psychotherapy practice is strengths-oriented. When situations, behaviors, and emotions seem unmanageable, every person has unique strengths to employ. I believe in the benefits of honesty, support, and authentic engagement, and use art making to facilitate these principals.
"But I have no artistic talent"!
Art-based psychotherapy is actually not about making "art". It is about engaging in the therapeutic process, using art making as a tool. Absolutely NO experience required. I have a vast variety of supplies from pencils to clay to textiles. Sometimes we may not even make anything.
