The Work

Art therapists use art to help people who have difficulty expressing themselves verbally or who have lost touch with their feelings. The art therapist aims to ease their clients' emotional distress and improve their quality of life. Some clients may not be able to speak, so artwork provides a valuable means of communication.  
 
Art therapists work with a wide variety of clients including children, the elderly, those with physical needs, psychiatric patients and offenders. They work with individual clients on a one-to-one basis and also with groups of clients.  
 
Therapists work in rooms set aside for artwork. They offer support to their clients and encourage them to use different sorts of materials such as clay, paper, paint and collage. They believe that creating any kind of art is a therapeutic act. They may get their clients to work on their own projects or on group projects.  
 
Art therapists do not judge a client's work, though they liaise with doctors and psychotherapists who may try to interpret a client's work, to help with diagnosis and treatment. The creative process, and the interaction between the therapist and the client, may help the client to take responsibility for their actions, share with other people and do more things for themselves.  
 
However, improvements of this kind may take a long time and not all clients respond positively to therapy.

Further Information

• Art Therapist - from: N.C.S. [UK]
• Art Therapist - from: GradIreland

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.

Entry to this career is highly competitive. It is essential that you have some relevant work or voluntary experience before applying including experience in the caring professions or working with people in a helping capacity.  
 
To qualify as an art therapist, you will need to take a postgraduate qualification in art therapy (usually a diploma). Potential students must have various prerequisites in Art and some undergraduate psychology, as well as related experience. To become a registered Art therapist with IACAT (Irish assoc for creative arts Therapist Ireland), you will require a primary degree in Art followed by a postgraduate qualification in Art Therapy.

If your first degree is in a subject other than Art, you may be considered for an Art therapy course if you can demonstrate a high standard of Art ability, based on interview and demonstration. 

Training & Development 

FET Centre Traineeship: Animation, Digital media design, Training & development, youthwork facilitation in centres around Ireland NFQ Level 5-6 Search FET Courses

FET PLC Courses: Art & Design - Portfolio, Art, Art & Mixed Media (Portfolio Preparation), Art, Craft & Design, Fine Art - Art Practice, Animation, Complementary Therapies , Psychology, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Occupational Therapy Studies NFQ Levels 5-6 Search FET PLC Courses

Apprenticeship: Animation Apprenticeship at NFQ level 9 Search Apprenticeships

Higher Education CAO Entry: Fine Art, Education & Design or Fine Art (Second Level Teaching), Counselling and Psychotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Nursing,  courses at NFQ Levels 6-8 Search CAO courses

Professional Development 

Post graduate options: Art Therapy Masters CIT college cork, Occupational Therapy & research NFQ level 9-10. 

(IACAT) irish Association for creative art therapists: People looking to branch from traditional talk or occupational Therapy into Art Therapy may contact IACAT for Recognition of prior learning, professional accreditation for practice. 

CORU Registrar for professionals in healthcare settings. 

Last Updated: November, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €25k - €65k

Salaries vary based on employer, location, experience, duties, and role.

Data Source(s):
HSE/ Salary expert/ Glassdoor/ Payscale

Last Updated: July, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Employment growth was below average for therapy professionals, with levels in 2022 remaining below that of 2020. Although LFS data does not allow for a detailed breakdown of employment in this group, Census data for 2016 and 2022 shows detailed employment as follows.

Despite the lack of overall employment growth in recent years, issues with recruitment resulted in a number of therapist roles (occupational, physiotherapists and speech and language) being added to the Critical Skills Employment Permit List in June 2022. A total of 53 new permits were issued in 2022, primarily for physiotherapists with a small number for occupational and speech & language therapists.

The delivery of the Sláintecare report, particularly in terms of community care and mental health services, will require additional staffing in these occupations and, while a combined total of 100 additional training places are planned for occupational, physio, and speech/language therapists in Ireland and Northern Ireland’s education system, given the duration of training programmes, recruitment difficulties for these posts are unlikely to ease in the short-to-medium term. However, as employment levels are not increasing and the data does not allow for detailed analysis, it is not possible to determine if shortages exist for this occupation at present.

• Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists

  • P.O.Box 4176, Dublin 1
  • 087 992 1746
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Association of Registered Complimentary Health Therapists of Ireland (ARCHTI)

  • Ballydaniel, Camolin, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford
  • 087 316 8381
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP)

  • 21 Dublin Rd, Bray, Co. Wicklow
  • (01) 230 3536
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here