I know that different states have different laws.. but I've heard
conflicting tales on the whole therapist/counselor title protection
issue.

Such as - "Anyone can call themselves a therapist or a counselor
because there's no law protecting those titles, or requiring a license
to claim such a profession."

I'm fairly sure this is true - because i'm nearly 100% positive that
certain titles (such as mine - Art Therapist) is not a protected
title.  ANYONE can call themselves an Art Therapist (in Connecticut at
least..) because there's no law protecting that title, or the ATR
credentials.

So I'm wondering what the rules are on someone claiming to be a
Therapist or a Counselor (or anything else applicable).  Do they need
an education?  what level?  do they need to pass an exam?

or is this all buyer/client-beware??

---

Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 20 Jul 2005 14:56 PDT

yellowdandelion...

Though it's probably true that anyone can call themselves
a therapist or counselor, most states have pretty rigid
standards for certification, and you can't call yourself
a "certified" therapist without the paper indicating that
you've passed the certification test for the state you're
operating in.

Some disciplines, such as art therapy, may not have the
state overseeing them in the same way they would oversee
certification for, say, a chemical dependency counselor
or a family therapist. These disciplines are usually 
overseen by national associations which also provide
oversight and official certification for art therapists.

The requirements for certification will vary from state
to state, association to association, and discipline to
discipline. Some will require a certain level of education,
along with testing, and may require a specific number of
hours of documented supervision by a certified therapist
or counselor in the same area of expertise. Others will
require only one or two of these, such as passing a test
every so often.

Obviously it's in the best interest of a client to explore
the education and certification of a potential therapist,
not to mention the degree of comfort and rapport they 
experience with them.

Does this satisfy your interests in asking the question,
or is there something further you'd need to make this a
satisfactory answer?

sublime1-ga

---

Clarification of Question by yellowdandelion-ga on 20 Jul 2005 15:31 PDT

I suppose I'm double checking that although licenses exist, there is
nothing preventing someone from calling themselves:  Jane Doe,
Therapist or Jane Doe, Counselor- without having actually attended
school or acquiring any license.  (I understand they couldn't use
acronyms such as LMFT or LPC, etc.)

And if so.. cannot further specified disciplines be used in the same way?  Such as:

Jane Doe, Art Therapist
Jane Doe, Music Therapist
Jane Doe, Recreational Therapist 
Jane Doe, Horticulture Therapist
Jane Doe, Social Worker

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 20 Jul 2005 15:43 PDT

Hello yellowdandelion-ga,

I answered your question on professional counselor exams a few months
ago. From your current question it looks like you decided on getting
licensed in Connecticut. Are you interested in getting general
information about how licensed counselors/therapists can differentiate
themselves from non-licensed practitioners who are in the same field,
i.e., Art Therapist in your case? Alterately, are you interested in
Connecticut-specific information? What is your degree and license? I'd
love to help you again?

~ czh ~

---

Clarification of Question by yellowdandelion-ga on 20 Jul 2005 16:46 PDT

This became a question recently when another therapist began saying
she was doing 'art therapy' and considered opening a private practice
- calling herself an Art Therapist - and while she is an LPC, she has
no formal art therapy training.  She just enjoys art and psychology.

This was upsetting to some of my fellow Art Therapist colleagues
(understandably..) and while I understand their concerns, I was fairly
sure this clinician wasn't doing anything illegal - "Art Therapist"
doesn't seem to be a protected word in CT.  I don't think "Social
Worker" is either.

(I also don't believe that "art therapy" or "social work" are
protected titles of therapeutic interventions.. except maybe when
insurance companies are involved.. but this is less clear, and mostly
off-topic.)

As for me, I took my NCE exam (still waiting results), have been
working in the field for 2 months, LOVE my job, and have started the
supervision hours.  phew!  :)

Hello again yellowdandelion-ga,

You are right that it is very difficult to determine ?title rights?
for the Art Therapist profession. I?ve collected information about all
the organizations and regulatory bodies that are involved to help make
sense of this subject.

Each state regulates mental health professionals and anyone claiming
to be a licensed mental health professional and using the various
titles (MSW, MFCC, etc.) must meet the appropriate state requirements.
Many Art Therapists are licensed mental health practitioners.

Art Therapists in the US have two main organizational bodies that
support them and represent their collective interests.

The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) and its state affiliates
work for advancing the profession. One of the main issues they?re
working on is the question of licensing the profession so that
practitioners can be reimbursed by 3rd parties. Some practitioners
don?t feel this is important if they have some other state licensed
professional designation.

The Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) is the other organization
heavily involved with advancing the Art Therapy profession. They are
the creators of the voluntary certification test that some of the
state AATA affiliates use for pushing for professional recognition for
Art Therapists. Many practitioners don?t agree that there is any value
in getting the Registered Art Therapist or ATR certification.

As you indicated in your question, anyone can hang out a shingle as an
art therapist and there are many artists and counselors who simply
market themselves as art therapists since there are no legal
prohibitions against doing so. It is up to the consumer to get
educated about the range of possible qualifications for people calling
themselves by the title of Art Therapist. The professional
associations have a vested interest in trying to gain recognition for
their members who have advanced education and have fulfilled the
requirements of gaining the sufficient supervised experience.

It?s sometimes difficult to make sense of the documentation from the
various organizations involved. I?ve provided you many links so you
can familiarize yourself with this complex picture.

Best wishes for your continued success and professional satisfaction.

~ czh ~



======================================================
AMERICAN ART THERAPY ASSOCIATION (AATA) AND AFFILIATES
======================================================

http://www.arttherapy.org/
http://www.arttherapy.org/aboutarttherapy/faqs.htm
American Art Therapy Association, Inc. (AATA)

--------------------

http://www.arttherapy.org/aboutarttherapy/about.htm
ABOUT ART THERAPY

Art therapy is based on the belief that the creative process involved
in the making of art is healing and life-enhancing. Through creating
art and talking about art and the process of art making with an art
therapist, one can increase awareness of self, cope with symptoms,
stress, and traumatic experiences, enhance cognitive abilities, and
enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of artistic creativity.

Art therapists are professionals trained in both art and therapy and
hold a masters degree in art therapy or a related field.

--------------------

http://www.arttherapy.org/members/gac/equivalency.htm
Guidelines for Establishing Art Therapy and Counseling Equivalency

--------------------

http://www.arttherapy.org/aboutarttherapy/ethicsfinal2003.pdf
American Art Therapy Association
Ethical Principles for Art Therapist

--------------------

http://www.ctarttherapy.org/
Connecticut Art Therapy Association

--------------------

http://www.ctarttherapy.org/information/index.html
Art Therapy FAQ

--------------------

http://www.micharttherapy.org/id7.html
Michigan Association of Art Therapy

Legislation and Licensure Updates
Pros/Cons to taking the Board Certification Exam

***** This is an exceptionally clearly written explanation of
licensure, certification and how they relate to anyone working as an
art therapist.

--------------------

http://www.arttherapy.org/aboutaata/legislativeupdate.htm
http://www.arttherapy.org/members/gac/state_legislative.htm
State Legislative Information 

***** This is a state-by-state discussion of the status of licensing
for art therapists and particularly the issue of ?title protection?
regarding the right use the label of ?art therapist.?




=============================================================
ART THERAPY CREDENTIALS BOARD (ATCB) AND RELATIONSHIP TO AATA
=============================================================

http://www.atcb.org/
Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB)
Voluntary certification program for Registered Art Therapist ? ART certificate

--------------------

http://www.atcb.org/pdfs/atcb-aataflyer.pdf
http://www.atcb.org/pdfs/ATCBandAATA.pdf
Compare ATCB and AATA
View the descriptions and differences in ATCB and AATA.




==================================
ART THERAPY -- GENERAL INFORMATION
==================================

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_therapy
Art Therapy

--------------------

http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Mental_Health/Counseling_Services/Expressive_Therapies/Art/

http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Mental_Health/Counseling_Services/Expressive_Therapies/Art/Practitioners/

***** Note that there is no easy way to categorize these practitioners
or to determine whether they are licensed or accredited. You have to
visit each practitioner?s website to determine their educational level
and degree, their licensing as a therapist or counselor under the
appropriate state/legal jurisdiction and their certification by the
appropriate accrediting organization or association. It?s very much a
matter of personal and professional marketing and buyer beware.




===============
SEARCH STRATEGY
===============

art therapy OR therapist
right to use "art therapy OR therapist"  title
art therapist "title protection"

Thank you so much for this thorough answer to a confusing question! 
You really went out and found all of the information, and plundering
through it will be easier now that it's organized for me.  I really
appreciate your hard work!

It appears that my colleague czh-ga and I were working on this
question at the same time, and she beat me to the Answer button,
so I'll include my findings as a comment in hopes they will be
of some help in addition to the excellent answer you've received.

----------------------------------------------------------------

The certification of Art Therapists is not well monitored
by many states. I have a friend who is an art therapist
and she makes a point of improving the recognition of her
legitimate status by maintaining a membership in the 
American Art Therapy Association:
http://www.arttherapy.org/aboutarttherapy/faqs.htm

She also maintains registration with the Art Therapy 
Credentials Board:
http://www.atcb.org/

Here is a page on their site pointing out the options
for obtaining ATR (Registered Art Therapist) status:
http://www.atcb.org/register.htm

There's also the possibility of being Board Certified
(ATR-BC). The exam for this certification is used by
many states and is portable across the country:
http://www.atcb.org/benefitsofboardcertification.htm

My friend also talked about so many hours of supervision
per year as a requirement, though I don't see that spoken
of on those pages.

Though the following page is not meant to be used for 
verification of certification or registration, it gives
you an idea of how this is documented by the Board:
http://www.atcb.org/list.htm

So, though it may be possible and even legal to put the
words after your name without formal training, I would
expect, again, that a client would exert due diligence
in exploring qualifications and education, and resources
for verifying these qualifications certainly exist.

sublime1-ga

Thank you for your hard work!  It's very much appreciated.  :)  and
your additional info is proving quite useful.

Hello yellowdandelion-ga,

I'm glad the information was useful. Thank you for the feedback, five
stars and generous tip. Best wishes for your career as an art
therapist.

~ czh ~