In my career as an art therapist I have spent many years as a direct service worker. By that I mean, providing art therapy directly to individuals, groups, families. I didn’t realize then the luxury of just providing direct services. I got to go in and help someone heal, learn, communicate, repair through the act of creating art. It has been a wonderful job for 20 years. I often can’t believe how lucky I have been.
I now run a rape crisis center and do less clinical work. As the administrator I have been having to slowly drift from clinical work to administration as I have incorporated art therapy into our center. It is both exciting to be in a position to develop new things and forward both art therapy and trauma treatment and sad to be doing a little less clinical work.
I do encourage art therapists to get involved in leadership, in administration, in development. These are skills that help us forward our field as a viable entity in the therapeutic milieu.
Carol Olson, LPC, ATR-BC, CSAC
Executive Director: Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault
Written by carol
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