How to Become a Licensed Art Therapist in Texas

April 25, 2022 Post a Comment

Calling Yourself an Art Therapist in Texas

Many Texas clinicians are baffled when it comes to the credentialing of fine art therapists. No wonder—the country law that defines who tin concord themselves out to the public as fine art therapists is the LPC Human action, and in society to run into the standards set forth in this law, an individual has to piece of work behind the scenes to pursue the Art Therapy Credentials Board'due south requirements for taking the national board certification exam in art therapy and and so submit proof of successful completion and an additional fee to the LPC board.

In the meantime, the LPC board has taken the stance that an individual is not supposed to apply the national art therapy credentials s/he he earns along the manner to being granted LPC-AT ("licensed professional counselor-art therapist") status at the land level until that condition has actually been attained. These national credentials include the ATR ("art therapist registered"), acquired subsequently completing post-chief'due south supervision requirements in art therapy, and eventually the ATR-BC ("fine art therapist registered-board certified"), acquired after passing the national competency exam in art therapy). Whew!

To complicate matters, there are STILL no graduate art therapy programs in Texas, which ways that would-be LPC-ATs received their graduate education elsewhere and perhaps have already earned and been using national credentials in art therapy up until their move to this state. Such people need to realize that national credentials don't exempt them from having to follow the requirements of state law unless the state police force specifically says this. The LPC Deed does not offering such exemptions.

Most of these individuals have educations that are well-suited for pursuing a license through the LPC lath. It's within their best involvement to practise this, equally the LPC Act indicates that unlicensed people who concur themselves out to the public as art therapists through whatsoever combination of abbreviations, letters, or words may be charged with a criminal offense. Equally for those who obtain a counseling license just choose non to meet the requirements for the "AT", the LPC board'south code of ideals does not offer an exemption for LPCs who have national credentials in art therapy; it states that none of its licensees may hold themselves out to the public every bit art therapists without the LPC-AT.

Others with national art therapy credentials, though few, may be candidates for a marriage & family therapy license, a psychology license, or a social work license. The plot thickens here. One section of the LPC Human activity indicates that it's a Grade B misdemeanor for anyone to hold her/himself out to the public equally an art therapist without existence licensed under the LPC Human activity. But another section of the LPC Act suggests that mental health practitioners licensed nether other state boards don't accept to bide by the terms of the LPC Human action as long as they refrain from using a championship that incorporates the words "licensed counselor". Where does the championship "fine art therapist" stand, considering that these two sections of the law appear to send different letters?

I checked with the LPC board about this and was informed in no uncertain terms that whatsoever licensed professional person who uses national fine art therapy credentials or the title "art therapist" is committing a offense if s/he does not have the LPC-AT. The board'southward lawyer asserted that the two sections of the police I referenced don't send conflicting messages; they just accept to be read together. Because that one passage comes from Subchapter B and the other comes from Subchapter J, I wonder how many people would naturally read them back to back?*

And then there are the people who've been given the official title of "art therapist" by their employer if the employer is a federal, land, canton, or municipal bureau or a public or private educational institution. The LPC Act states that its requirements don't pertain to these individuals, merely information technology's important to note that things could get sticky for them if they utilise the championship "fine art therapist" outside of their task.

It gets even better. The Art Therapy Credentials Board recognizes that the credentials it offers at the national level do not trump the requirements of land police force. The ATCB Code of Professional person Practice stipulates that practitioners of fine art therapy are responsible for conforming to state laws pertaining to contained practice, which is sometimes mistaken for individual practice but actually ways the ability to provide professional services without the need for operating under someone else's license. The LPC Act is such a law. If only it wasn't and then confusing.

Despite the black holes, loopholes, and worm holes, hither are some resources that can serve as a starting point for untangling the "art therapist" knot:

Art Therapy Credentials Lath

Registration (ATR)

Lath Certification (ATR-BC)

Code of Professional Exercise 1. General Upstanding Principles. ane.one Responsibility to Clients

Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 503 ("the LPC Act")

Subchapter B. Application of Chapter. §503.051. Counseling for Government or Educational Institution

Subchapter B. Application of Chapter. §503.054. Counseling by Other Licensed or Certified Professional or by Religious Practitioner

Subchapter G. License Requirements. §503.303. Specialization in Art Therapy

Subchapter J. Penalties and Enforcement Provisions. §503.452. Criminal Offenses

Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional person Counselors Championship 22, Texas Administrative Code, Affiliate 681 ("LPC Board Rules")

Subchapter C. Code of Ethics. §681.49. Advertising and Announcements

Please note that the information presented here is not intended to serve as a substitute for legal advice. If reading this has left you with more questions than answers, which information technology probably has, you should direct your inquiries to the Art Therapy Credentials Board (atcb@nbcc.org), the LPC Board (lpc@dshs.land.tx.us), and/or a knowledgeable mental health lawyer in this state. Clear every bit mud? And how. Just worth trying to wade through? Yep, if you lot are thinking of calling yourself an art therapist in Texas.

With appreciation for the important work you do,

Megan December 2012

*this paragraph was added February 2013 after I received a response from the LPC board

About the Image on This Folio

This is a thumbnail of iPad Wallpaper (Public Domain), posted to The Public Domain website by Mitch Featherston in 2010. Click here for more information.