Students who successfully pursue this new degree will emerge prepared with academic, clinical and research experience in preparation for the credentials of Registration as an Art Therapist (ATR) according to the educational guidelines established by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), and Licensure as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC).

Positioned within the urban campus Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) and built in partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine, this two-year, full-time residential program is the only one of its kind in the state of Indiana. The program provides a foundation in art therapy where the general concepts of science, art and the creative process are understood and applied in a therapeutic context.

This program is supported through a partnership with Riley Hospital for Children. Students are required to engage in clinical training within the IU Health system and surrounding Indianapolis community as a part of their coursework.

Honoring the dynamic nature of the psyche, the art therapist calls upon the theoretical and practical application of psychotherapeutic principles through a variety of interventions and in myriad settings including mental health, medical, educational and forensic facilities.

Students will be trained from didactic and experiential models that encourage personal art making within Herron’s studios. The use of imagery to conceptualize symbolic communication and expression of the unconscious is taught through the application of present-day assessment and intervention strategies in areas such as neuroscience and trauma, and through research methodologies including art-based and evidence-based practices.

Admissions

Herron's Art Therapy program is developed to meet the educational requirements as mandated by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) and The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). In addition, the curriculum is developed to prepare students with the classroom and clinical instruction in preparation for eventual licensure as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Indiana.

All AATA approved programs require pre-requisite courses in studio art (18 credits) and psychology (12 credits) including developmental psychology (3 credits) and abnormal psychology (3 credits).

Please see the admissions page for a more thorough description of the requirements for admission: http://www.herron.iupui.edu/art-therapy/admissions