Educational Opportunities in Art Therapy

The Art Therapy Program is part of Creative and Expressive Arts Therapy (CEAT) at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. We offer a 700-hour part-time art therapy training program for graduate art therapy students.

Art therapy students:

Are part of a psychosocial team that plays a key role in a child’s healing process.
Have the chance to learn pediatric medial art therapy in individual and group settings through the CEAT department.
Receive direct training and supervision from a registered, board-certified art therapist and licensed professional counselor.

What to Expect During Your Training Experience

Students will:

Start their training by shadowing the art therapist’s individual and group art therapy sessions.
Then students will co-facilitate sessions with the art therapist until they are ready to carry their own caseload and spend most of their time leading individual art therapy sessions with patients.
Plan and implement art therapy directives for both individual and group art therapy sessions and events, as needed.
Students have the opportunity to co-facilitate with other disciplines such as: Music Therapy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Child Life, etc.
Students are expected to participate in interdisciplinary team meetings, provide presentations and participate in clinical meetings with other providers, and fulfil additional responsibilities as assigned by the art therapy supervisor.

Art Therapy Training Schedule

Educational experiences are 700-hours beginning in the fall semester and lasting through the spring semester. Most internships are three days a week for 8 hours throughout the educational experience. We base art therapy training hours on the hospital's staffing schedule.

Application Process & Deadline for Art Therapy Training

The deadline to apply for an educational experience is March 1st.

Graduate Art Therapy Program Application (PDF).

Please complete the Graduate Art Therapy Program Application (PDF) and return via email to Kate Gibson by March 1st for an educational experience starting in the fall. Applications will be reviewed and interviews will take place in the Spring. Final decisions will be made by May 1st.

Please email all art therapy education questions or requests to:

Kate Gibson
Creative and Expressive Arts Therapist III
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Kaitlin.Gibson2@chp.edu