What Can You Do With an Online Graduate Certificate in Expressive Art Therapy?
Art has long been a powerful medium to express, heal, and connect. When paired with therapeutic practices, it becomes a tool for supporting mental, emotional, and social well-being, helping people manage stress, cope with trauma, and build resilience.
At Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D), we help you take the next step toward putting your passion for art to work for the greater good.
With our 12-credit-hour, fully online Graduate Certificate in Expressive Art Therapy, you'll gain specialized skills in integrating creative processes with therapeutic techniques to support diverse populations. You'll learn how to effectively use art as a means of communication, self-expression, and emotional growth across various settings, from healthcare and education to community organizations and private practice.
Discover how earning your certificate can open doors to new career opportunities, allowing you to make a meaningful impact through art.
Where Can an Art Therapy Certificate Take You?
Whether you're looking to enhance your current role or explore a new career path, our online art therapy certificate adds credentials to your resume that help you stand out in a wide range of fields. Just a few of the many career possibilities include:
Mental health and counseling
If you're passionate about mental health, art therapy can be a valuable addition to your toolkit. In counseling settings, creative expression provides an alternative way for clients to process trauma, manage stress, and explore emotions that might be difficult to articulate with words.
You may work alongside therapists in private practices, mental health clinics, or rehabilitation centers, supporting individuals through guided art activities that promote self-awareness and emotional development.
Education and learning environments
If you work in education, art can help students process their emotions, build focus, and develop problem-solving skills. Activities like drawing, painting, or collaging give students a hands-on way to explore their feelings and take a break from the stress of studying.
Incorporating art into your classroom can create a space where students feel more comfortable expressing themselves. For special education professionals, creative projects can also support communication for students with learning differences, helping them engage in ways that feel accessible and meaningful.
Community and social services
In community and social services, art can serve as a catalyst for connection and healing. Group mural projects, storytelling through mixed media, or even simple journaling with illustrations can help individuals reflect on their experiences and find their voice.
Whether supporting people in shelters, community centers, or recovery programs, creative expression offers a nonverbal outlet for emotions that are hard to put into words. It can also foster a sense of community, encouraging collaboration and shared understanding among individuals facing similar challenges.
Healthcare and wellness
In healthcare, emotional well-being is just as important as physical health.
Art therapy can play a significant role in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and palliative care settings, helping patients cope with illness, injury, or grief. Healthcare providers can integrate art-based activities into treatment plans to support mental health alongside medical care.
If you're interested in holistic wellness, becoming a wellness coach with a background in art therapy can allow you to guide individuals in stress management, mindfulness practices, and personal growth through creative expression.
Correctional facilities and rehabilitation
Within correctional facilities, art therapy can play a key role in rehabilitation by helping inmates explore their identities, reflect on past experiences, and develop healthier ways to express themselves. Creative programs encourage personal growth, emotional awareness, and accountability, offering individuals a chance to process their actions in a constructive environment.
For those involved in reentry support, art therapy can help build critical life skills like problem-solving, communication, and self-confidence — foundations that can support a smoother transition back into the community and reduce the risk of recidivism.
Activities coordination and artistic leadership
If you love organizing events and activities, art therapy can enhance your role as an activities coordinator. In settings like senior centers, community organizations, and educational institutions, you can lead creative programs that encourage social interaction, cognitive engagement, and emotional well-being.
For those with a passion for leadership, becoming an artistic director for a community organization allows you to oversee arts-based initiatives, curate exhibitions, and manage projects that promote cultural development and social impact.
Earn Your Certificate in Art Therapy Online
See what you can make possible with an online art therapy certificate from MECA&D.
Our Graduate Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy is designed to make it easy for you to advance your career on your own time. With 100% online, asynchronous courses, you can balance life and work commitments while gaining specialized skills to apply to your role, no matter the field.
We also make earning a full graduate degree more accessible with the ability to transfer your certificate credits to our Master of Arts in Education.
Learn more about how an art therapy certificate can help expand your horizons. Request more information today.
Please note that our online art therapy certificate does not lead to certification. If you're interested in becoming a certified art therapist, you will need to meet the guidelines set forth by the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB). See their website for more details.
