Art Therapy Research Paper

My Dream: Art Therapy
“Not surprisingly, professionals are well represented among the jobs beginning college students say they hope to get after graduation…” (Macionis, p.385). I am certainly among that demographic, as it is my goal to pursue what would be considered a profession. It is my dream to become an art therapist, a profession which incorporates artwork as a form of therapy. Helping people and having the opportunity to embrace a subject that I love is my dream. According to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), “A goal in art therapy is to improve or restore a client’s functioning and his or her sense of personal well-being.” For me, it was not all that surprising to learn that art is an exceptional resource for healing and

Macionis, falls into the self-employed category. However, I never wanted to be the struggling artist stereotype and with how dismal the economy looked while I was in high school, I knew I couldn’t make a secure living through my art alone. Actually, when I first started college I did it with the intentions of finding an enjoyable but promising career option that would support my passion for art. I knew this would require education in a field I could always rely on being needed in society. According to our Macionis textbooks, my profession of choice falls into the tertiary sector as “service work” which makes up 85% of the American labor force and is defined

Bettina Stronach-Buschel, a nine-year-old girl named Michelle copes with an abusive family environment fueled by family discord and alcoholism. Dr. Stronach-Buschel provided the young girl with a variety of materials as a means of communicating her thoughts and feelings. By analyzing the young girl’s creations, Stronach-Buschel was able to get a glimpse into the young girls mind and help the child progress in therapy. Not only is art therapy a great form of insight and communication, it boosts patients confidence as well. Dr. Stronach-Buschel explains, “Art-making can be ego supportive and can lead to feelings of competence that may be incorporated and transferred to other areas” (Stronach-Buschel). In other words, patients regain a sense of control and