Looking For Me

One of the things I'm trying to figure out is "who am I?"  I'm trying to answer this big question in many facets of my life, but really in Art Therapy. I had no idea I would be stepping into education and there are nuances I'm still trying to understand -like people. And this is important because knowing people introduces me to a PLC that I would really like to be a part of. School based art therapists are just that. They work in the educational environment with the goal of helping students access their education -and really that umbrellas everything because school is not just about an academic diploma - it's a microcosm of life.

Miami-Dade is a powerhouse. They piloted a program in 1979 and have been leaders in the field. They list the following definitions:

Art Therapy: helps students identify and reconcile emotional conflicts using art processes as the modality for communication, evaluation and treatment.
Art Education: teaches students how to produce, understand, evaluate and appreciate aesthetic productions.
School Counseling: relies heavily upon verbal communication to help students understand their feelings and adopt socially acceptable behaviors.
School Psychology: emphasizes evaluation and placement of students for diagnostic and prescriptive purposes.

What does a hybrid of Art Therapy, Art Education, and School Psychology look like? Because I think it looks like me ....

I have my Masters Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, emphasis Art Therapy (currently working toward licensure), and I have my alternative teaching license in Visual Arts. I facilitate two classes for Public School Credit toward graduation. The classes are delivered with a therapeutic framework with a focus on product and process. Therapy, education, and counseling are all inclusive.

"M-DCPS clinical art therapists provide individual and small group counseling services. They do not teach classes."


Well who does?