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Image of career: Art Therapist

Art Therapist

Overview

Art therapists help patients express and cope with their emotions through art.

Description

  • Plan and facilitate art therapy sessions.
  • Provide a safe environment for therapeutic expression.
  • Organise one-on-one and group workshops.
  • Attend conferences to discuss treatment methods.
  • Liaise with healthcare and social work professionals and refer clients to them.

Entry requirements

  • You'll need at least a two-year Postgraduate Degree in Art Therapy.
  • Gain experience through volunteering and job shadowing at schools, hospitals, prisons, and care centres.

Salary

$3,500 – 5,200

/mo

Salary ranges are estimated based on public information found on Singaporean job portals, including MyCareersFuture, MySkillsFuture. Updated as of 2026.

Trivia

The focus of art therapy isn’t the artistic skills but the personal creative process, which helps patients communicate and improves their wellbeing.

What to expect

You’ll work in a variety of settings, like schools, hospitals, and mental health institutions. You may also have to work outside of office hours and weekends.

Soft
skills

Sensitivity

Possess strong empathy and understanding to connect with clients.

Emotional Stability

Able to remain calm and provide support when working with clients.

Patience

Ability to work with clients who need time to progress or express themselves.

Visual Art

Skilled with various art forms like painting, sculpture, or digital art.

Microsoft Office

Able to use Microsoft Office applications for planning, documentation, and other administrative tasks.

Knowledge of Therapy

Possess an understanding of psychological and therapeutic theories.

Hard
skills

May, Art Therapist
"Remember your call and trust the process."

May, Art Therapist

National Youth Council

Frequently asked questions

People of all ages benefit from creative expression through art therapy. It offers a gentler approach for people who struggle with verbal expression, including people managing addiction, anxiety, and depression,

Their main role is guiding clients to find meaning and grounding through self-expression. However, they will observe patterns in clients’ work to guide their reports and therapy.

Working with clients who have difficulty expressing themselves, or are uncooperative can be challenging and requires patience.

They closely observe clients during art-making sessions, paying attention to their choices of materials, themes, colours, and symbols.

They store client records securely and ensure only authorised individuals have access to them.