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Art Therapy and Counseling MA

Major: Art Therapy and Counseling
Degree Awarded: Master of Arts (MA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 90.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.2301
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 29-1129

About the Program

Drexel University's Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling was founded in 1967 at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital and provides students extensive exposure to current, interdisciplinary practices. This distinctive program teaches students informed skills and integrative theories for diverse therapeutic approaches in various care systems. Working with specified treatment objectives determined through client collaboration and ongoing assessment, students learn to apply art therapy methods alongside counseling skills. In-class experientials and didactic learning inform each student's simultaneous on-site, community and clinical educational experiences with individuals and groups. Students learn by doing, incorporating supervisor and faculty feedback within their sustained and often distinct learning trajectories. This multilayered pedagogy and each student's necessary interpersonal work and professional disposition development provide foundational learning for creative and ethical art therapy and counseling.

Throughout the multi-dimensional learning processes and content areas of the Art Therapy and Counseling program, students study the vital roles of creativity, empathy and cultural humility in professional work and interpersonal growth. In addition, students learn how their cognitive, behavioral, creative and emotional responses can block or augment the relationships of therapy, colleagueship and professional development. The 90.0 quarter-credit curriculum includes specific art therapy coursework in community care, assessment and treatment planning for children, adolescents, adults, older adults and families; trauma and systemic approaches; creativity, symbol and metaphor; digital media use; mindfulness; and addictions and recovery. Students also take classes in general mental health counseling topics, including human development, differential diagnosis, social and cultural foundations, clinical appraisal and assessment and group dynamics.

Graduates are eligible for the ATR-Provisional certification upon program graduation to work further towards their ATR and ATR-BC credentials and professional counseling licensure in Pennsylvania and other states upon completion of specified work and supervision hours that are critical parts of post-graduation requirements. We designed the Art Therapy and Counseling program's 90-quarter credits to meet the Pennsylvania Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) educational requirements. We also uphold program and learning standards for art therapy accreditation through CAAHEP and the Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education or ACATE. Because licensure requirements vary from state to state, we strongly advise applicants interested in attaining post-graduation counseling licensure to access and check the requirements for any state(s) where they plan to work and practice. In addition, the students must begin to know and understand the requirements for any future licensure they may seek. We strive to inform, update and support individualized pursuits for licensure and national board certification with each student.

For additional information about the program, visit the College of Nursing and Health Professions Art Therapy and Counseling website.

Degree Requirements

Core Courses
CATX 501	Foundations of Creative Arts Therapies	2.0
CTCN 501	Human Psychological Development	4.5
CTCN 503	Differential Diagnosis and Processes	4.5
CTCN 504	Professional Orientation and Ethics	4.5
CTCN 505	Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy	4.5
CTCN 509	Social and Cultural Foundations	4.5
CTCN 540	Approaches to Addictions and Recovery	4.5
CTCN 601	Introduction to Behavioral Research	4.5
CTCN 603	Clinical Appraisal and Assessment	4.5
CTCN 604	Career Counseling	4.5
CTCN 606	Group Dynamics and Processes	4.5
Art Therapy Track Courses
CATX 528	Systems, Community Practices, and Therapeutic Relationships	4.5
CATX 529	Family Systems for Assessment and Treatment Planning	4.5
CATX 532	Trauma, Crisis, and Community Care	3.0
CATX 535	Creativity, Symbolism, and Metaphor in Art Therapy and Counseling	3.0
CATX 536	Studio Art for Art Therapists	1.0
CATX 537	Art Therapy Group Supervision I	1.0
CATX 538	Art Therapy Group Supervision II	1.0
CATX 539	Art Therapy Group Supervision III	1.0
CATX 631	Media, Materials and Process in Art Therapy	3.0
CATX 637	Advanced Art Therapy Group Supervision I	1.0
CATX 638	Advanced Art Therapy Group Supervision II	1.0
CATX 639	Advanced Art Therapy Group Supervision III	1.0
CATX 645	Professional Identity & Contemporary Practices	3.0
Clinical Education Courses
CTCN 510	Clinical Practicum I	2.0
CTCN 520	Clinical Practicum II	2.0
CTCN 530	Clinical Practicum III	2.0
CTCN 610	Clinical Internship I	2.0
CTCN 620	Clinical Internship II	2.0
CTCN 630	Clinical Internship III	2.0
Culminating Project
CATX 621	Culminating Project I	1.5
CATX 622	Culminating Project II	1.5
Art Therapy Electives ^*
CATX 541	Digital Media Use in Art Therapy and Counseling
CATX 542	Mindfulness in Clinical Practice
Additional Electives ^*
CATX 627	For Culminating Project Only
Total Credits		90.0

*: Please note that electives are in addition to the 90 credits required for the degree. Please consult with you advisor before registering for an elective.

Sample Plan of Study

Two Year Plan of Study

First Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CATX 501	2.0	CTCN 509	4.5	CTCN 503	4.5	CTCN 504	4.5
CATX 528	4.5	CATX 529	4.5	CATX 532	3.0	CTCN 505	4.5
CATX 537	1.0	CATX 538	1.0	CATX 535	3.0	CATX 536	1.0
CTCN 501	4.5	CTCN 520	2.0	CATX 539	1.0
CTCN 510	2.0			CTCN 530	2.0
	14		12		13.5		10
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits
CTCN 601	4.5	CTCN 603	4.5	CTCN 604	4.5
CATX 631	3.0	CATX 638	1.0	CATX 639	1.0
CATX 637	1.0	CTCN 540	4.5	CATX 645	3.0
CTCN 606	4.5	CATX 621	1.5	CATX 622	1.5
CTCN 610	2.0	CTCN 620	2.0	CTCN 630	2.0
	15		13.5		12
Total Credits 90

Three-Year Plan of Study

First Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CATX 501	2.0	CATX 529	4.5	CATX 532	3.0	CTCN 505	4.5
CTCN 501	4.5	CTCN 509	4.5	CATX 535	3.0	CATX 536	1.0
CATX 528	4.5			CTCN 503	4.5
	11		9		10.5		5.5
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CATX 537	1.0	CATX 538	1.0	CATX 539	1.0	CTCN 504	4.5
CATX 631	3.0	CTCN 520	2.0	CTCN 530	2.0
CTCN 510	2.0	CTCN 603	4.5	CTCN 604	4.5
CTCN 606	4.5
	10.5		7.5		7.5		4.5
Third Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits
CTCN 610	2.0	CATX 621	1.5	CATX 622	1.5
CTCN 601	4.5	CATX 638	1.0	CATX 639	1.0
CATX 637	1.0	CTCN 540	4.5	CATX 645	3.0
		CTCN 620	2.0	CTCN 630	2.0
	7.5		9		7.5
Total Credits 90

Four-Year Plan of Study

First Year (Part-Time)
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CATX 501	2.0	CTCN 509	4.5	CTCN 503	4.5	CTCN 505	4.5
CATX 528	4.5			CATX 535	3.0	CATX 536	1.0
	6.5		4.5		7.5		5.5
Second Year (Part-Time)
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CTCN 501	4.5	CATX 529	4.5	CTCN 603	4.5	CTCN 504	4.5
CATX 631	3.0	CTCN 510	2.0	CTCN 520	2.0	CATX 539	1.0
		CATX 537	1.0	CATX 538	1.0	CTCN 530	2.0
	7.5		7.5		7.5		7.5
Third Year (Part-Time)
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CATX 637	1.0	CATX 621	1.5	CATX 639	1.0	Vacation
CTCN 606	4.5	CATX 638	1.0	CTCN 604	4.5
CTCN 610	2.0	CTCN 620	2.0	CTCN 630	2.0
	7.5		4.5		7.5		0
Fourth Year (Part-Time)
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits
CTCN 601	4.5	CTCN 540	4.5	CATX 532	3.0
		CATX 622	1.5	CATX 645	3.0
	4.5		6		6
Total Credits 90

Program Level Outcomes

Students will learn to work with specified treatment objectives determined through client or group collaboration and formal to informal assessments to apply relevant art therapy methods alongside counseling micro-skills.
In-class experientials and didactic learning will inform and support the simultaneous clinical and community education experiences each student engages with individuals and groups.
Students will learn primary art therapy and counseling skills by completing ongoing clinical and community education placement work and incorporating their supervisor and faculty feedback within their sustained learning trajectories with diverse care systems.
Each student will address and work within any necessary interpersonal work, self-care and professional disposition development in conscious, self-initiated and program-supported ways.
The program learning and content areas will support a comprehensive foundation for creative and ethical clinical and community work within the multiple systems of care and culturally diverse populations possible.
Faculty and supervisors will strive to inform, update and support individualized state licensure pursuits for each student via academic advisement and multiple licensure workshops while attending our program.
Students will study the vital roles that their creativity, intersectional identities and cultural humility impact and augment therapeutic relationships and goals of therapy.
Each student will be exposed to students and faculty members from other creative arts therapies and counseling fields while developing a strong identity as an art therapist.
Each student will engage in a Master's culminating project that is informed scholarship and creative-based and disseminate the results via an end-of-academic-year community platform and any other relevant venues or opportunities for the topic areas.

Creative Arts Therapies Department Faculty

Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC (Temple University) Director, PhD Program in Creative Arts Therapies. Professor. Research in music therapy, chronic pain, systematic reviews.

Natalie Rae Carlton, PhD, ATR-BC, LPCC (Lesley University) Director, Art Therapy and Counseling MA Program. Associate Clinical Professor. New media and comics, zines and graphic novel uses in art therapy.

Christina Devereaux, PhD, LCAT, LMHC, BC-DMT, NCC (UCLA) Program Director for Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling. Associate Clinical Professor. Dance movement therapy, children, attachment, autism spectrum disorder, trauma, group work, clinical supervision.

Girija Kaimal, EdD, MA , ATR-BC (Harvard University) Interim Department Chair, Assistant Dean for the Division of Human Development and Health Administration. Associate Professor. Art therapy, indigenous arts, oncology, trauma leadership, program evaluation.

Clarissa Lacson, PhD, MT-BC (Drexel University) Core Counseling Course Coordinator, Creative Arts Therapy MA Programs. Assistant Clinical Professor. Interprofessional collaboration, program development, clinical supervision, research coordination, pediatric and medical music therapy

Marisol S. Norris, PhD, MT-BC (Drexel University) Director, Music Therapy and Counseling MA Program. Assistant Clinical Professor. . Community music therapy, critical pedagogies, Black aesthetics, culturally sustaining practice, radical healing framework.

Nalini Prakash, BC-DMT, CMA (Drexel University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Dance/Movement Therapy. movement analysis, mental illness, criminal justice, violence prevention, clinical supervision, arts and culture, arts-based community development.

Michele Rattigan, MA, ATR-BC, NCC, LPC, LPAT (MCP Hahnemann University). Associate Clinical Professor. Art Therapy. self-compassion, community compassion, and mindfulness-based arts therapies approaches for U unresolved trauma; post-partum depression and anxiety; disordered eating and body image concerns; self-harming behaviors; & dissociative disorders. Critical compassionate pedagogy, interprofessional collaboration, & Universal Design for Learning in higher education. Doctor of health science student; higher education concentration.

Minjung Shim, PhD, BC-DMT (Drexel University). Assistant Professor. Medical dance/movement therapy, chronic pain management, mindfulness-based interventions, healthy aging, virtual reality and eHealth interventions, clinical trials, theory/model-building, scoping reviews.

Adenike Webb, PhD, MT-BC (Temple University) Clinical Education Coordinator, Creative Arts Therapy MA Programs . Assistant Clinical Professor. Anti-oppressive pedagogy, wellbeing and creativity, social justice, culturally sustaining practice.

Denise Wolf, ATR-BC, ATCS, LPC, LPAT (Drexel University). Associate Clinical Professor. Consulting, trauma sensitive care/complex interpersonal trauma, clinical supervision, hand paper-making, Dialectical behavior therapy, art museum spaces, school-based art therapy, community engagement.

Emeritus Faculty

Nancy Gerber, PhD, ATR-BC (Union Institute and University). Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Art therapy assessment and treatment of adolescents and adults; modern psychoanalysis and art therapy; arts therapy education and doctoral education; arts based research and mixed methods research.

Sharon W. Goodill, PhD, BC-DMT, NCC, LPC (Union Institute and University). Clinical Professor Emerita. Medical dance/movement, mind/body studies, movement assessment for DMT, CAT research and leadership.

Florence Ierardi, MM, MT-BC, LPC (Temple University). Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Clinical improvisation, trauma-informed music therapy, multicultural music therapy perspectives.

Ellen Schelly-Hill, MMT, BC-DMT, NCC, LPC (Antioch NE Graduate School). Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Adults diagnosed with mood disorders, anxiety, chronic pain and with histories of trauma; clinical supervision; ethics.

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