“Do you perform for your patients?” “Do you work with artists?”
These are some of the common questions which I come across when I tell someone that I am a creative arts therapist. Therefore, I would like to begin by explaining what is this relatively new term in the field of mental health. Creative Arts Therapies (CATs) are forms of psychotherapy that use the therapeutic value of different modes of creative expression like drama, dance, music, visual arts, with/without verbal communication for facilitating individual or group therapy.
Slicing The Umbrella Term
Creative Arts Therapies are an umbrella term for different modalities like drama therapy, music therapy, movement therapy, art therapy, expressive arts therapy, etc. Neither do I perform for my patients, nor do I work only with artists. CATs are for everyone, beyond the barriers of age, class, creed, gender, sexuality, and no prior experience is required in any of the art forms. As a drama and movement therapist, I engage with my clients in a way that they feel free to express and explore their concerns through stories, art, writing, songs, poetry, dance, instead of just talking about them. There is absolutely no pressure to create an aesthetically pleasing perfect piece of art, rather the aim is to express oneself authentically in a safe space.
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Becoming A Creative Arts Therapist
Let us now discuss what you need to become a creative arts therapist.
Any Background, High Curiosity
When talking about who can become a creative arts therapist, I would like to share the diversity of the professional background which I witnessed in my classroom during my drama therapy training. There were artists, teachers, a lawyer, psychologists, social workers, and more. Having said that, one does not need to be an artist or a therapist, but one might require some experience or curiosity towards how arts have a significant impact on our mind, body, and soul and how they can be used as a therapeutic intervention when working with individuals or groups.
Openness To Self-Awareness
From my personal experience I would say that one should be open for enhancing self-awareness and exploration as most of the trainings in CAT are quite intense and experiential, and challenge one to get in touch with their own mind and body, and at times also with one's own trauma and conflicts. Most of the courses also keep being in therapy as a compulsory requirement.
Creative Arts Therapies Are A Way To Get In Touch With One's Own Mind And Body.
Check University Websites
If you would want to know the specific undergraduate degree or prior work experience requirement, I would advice you to check the eligibility requirements for each university, as they vary from one to another. Some universities prefer a UG degree in your art form, while some ask for a background in Social Work or Psychology. Some universities also specify a certain amount of work experience in social/health settings as a prerequisite. Therefore, it is a better idea to check out the university websites carefully.
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Choosing The Right Course
How do you go about choosing the right course in the CAT of your choice? Keep these few points in mind.
India Has Short-Term Programmes
Speaking in the context of India, right now we do not have Master’s level trainings in CATs. However, we do have certificate and diploma courses, of which some are quite intensive and provide good exposure. However, these courses do not certify one to call themselves therapists, and ethically one can only call themselves a facilitator or a practitioner.
Consider Studying Abroad
For Master’s level training, going abroad to countries like USA, UK, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada would be an advisable option. Therefore, your financial abilities become a crucial aspect too, while choosing your course in CATs. However, one can always try for scholarships.
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Know What You Want
Other than this, you might also like to consider your area of interest, course curriculum, your potential clientele after completion of the course, and the likes of these.
CATs trainings are experiential in nature because one cannot really understand this field only through books. Therefore, while exploring your interest in the field, you might like to first attend the smaller workshops or certificate courses in India, to know your interests before you deep-dive into a full-time course.
Keep Support In Place
You might also like to check upon the availability of your mental healthcare and support systems during the trainings. It becomes extremely important that one has the required social support system and access to mental healthcare professionals during one’s trainings, as the whole experience can get intensive for one's mind and body. This is not to scare you, but to bring your attention to the fact that becoming a qualified and ethical creative arts therapist entails a lot of depth and intensity, which one might like to take a more informed decision about.
Scope In India
How is your career progression likely to be in CATs?
Still A New Field
There has been a spike in the number of individuals seeking mental healthcare. However, most of the individuals who come to me, come for talk therapy and I have to advocate drama and movement therapy to them. There have been instances where individuals have approached me specifically for drama and movement therapy after being in talk therapy, which is a good sign. Having said that, it is a budding field and with time, it seems that it will only grow.
Be Enterprising
One has to be ready to be enterprising when building a career in this field. We do not have ready jobs, but we do have spaces which can benefit from CATs, whom we can approach use advocacy to make our space there. Networking, marketing, and street-smartness become important skills. A few reputed hospitals in India, now do have separate CATs’ verticals within their mental health departments, which is a good sign for someone interested in working in the hospital setting. Some of us do not get to work in our area of interest immediately, and, till then we should be open to working in related areas. Till I did not have enough work as a drama therapist, I managed my bread and butter by working as a drama facilitator in schools. This being a young field in India, comes with its own pros and cons in terms of its scope. It can also be used as an opportunity to pioneer work in different areas and carve your own niche.
As good news, there are groups and organisations that are working towards advocacy and awareness of the different subfields of CAT in India. Some of these are Dramatherapy India (@dramatherapyindia), Indian Association of Dance Movement Therapy(@iadmt), Uttar Pradesh Mental Health Council (@upmhc). You might like to keep yourself updated with the work that these groups and organisations are doing if you aspire to be a creative arts therapist.
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Shruti Garg is HCPC UK Regd. Dramatherapist, Co-Founder Creative Arts Therapies Development Foundation (CAT-DF).