Creative Arts Therapies
“Creative Arts Therapists are human service professionals who use arts modalities and creative processes for the purpose of ameliorating disability and illness and optimizing health and wellness. Treatment outcomes include, for example, improving communication and expression, and increasing physical, emotional, cognitive and/or social functioning. There are more than 15,000 Creative Arts Therapists practicing in the United States and around the world. Creative Arts Therapy organizations have been active in this country for over 50 years.” – National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies
The creative arts therapy field encompasses music, art, dance/movement, drama, and poetry therapy. Therapists in these fields are trained deeply in their modality, as well as in a specialized area of need. For example, creative arts therapists could work at:
• adult day treatment centers
• community mental health centers
• community residences and halfway houses
• correctional and forensic facilities
• disaster relief centers
• drug and alcohol programs
• early intervention programs
• general hospitals
• home health agencies
• hospices
• neonatal nurseries
• nursing homes
• outpatient clinics
• psychiatric units and hospitals
• rehabilitative facilities
• senior centers
• schools
• wellness centers
Each discipline within the creative arts therapy field has it’s own set of ethical codes, educational requirements, and professional standards. Find more information about each specific discipline at their association’s website.
American Art Therapy Association
American Music Therapy Association
American Dance Therapy Association
North American Drama Therapy Association
The National Association for Poetry Therapy
Expressive Arts Therapy
“Expressive arts therapies are defined as the use of art, music, drama, dance/movement, poetry/creative writing, bibliotherapy, play, and sandplay within the context of psychotherapy, counseling, rehabilitation, or medicine. Additionally, expressive therapies are sometimes referred to as “integrative” when various arts are purposively used in combination in treatment.” -Cathy Malchiodi
International Expressive Arts Therapy Association
The creative arts therapies use a more individualized, or specialized, approach, within one creative modality for therapeutic purposes . The expressive arts therapies use an integrative or multi-modal approach, blending several modalities into the therapeutic work.
Check out these article to get a better idea of the differences and similarities between the two:
Creative Arts Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy
FAQ’s- Appalachian State University