Art therapy roles, employer ethics, billing, hiring and program planning. Read the guidance and use the templates directly on this page.
What an art therapist is
An art therapist is a mental health clinician with graduate education and supervised training in using art materials, creative processes and psychological knowledge within a therapeutic relationship. Art therapists work with individuals, families, groups and communities in clinical, educational and community settings.
The role involves assessment within the practitioner’s competence, collaborative goals, therapeutic intervention, documentation, evaluation and coordination of care. An art class, creative activity or staff workshop does not establish the facilitator’s qualifications to practice art therapy.
Art therapy
Art therapy is a mental health and human services profession that brings artmaking, creative processes and psychological knowledge into a therapeutic relationship. The art therapist and the person receiving services agree on goals and adapt the work to that person’s needs, preferences and access requirements.
Credentials, licenses and payer enrollment
ATR-P — Provisional Registered Art Therapist: an ATCB credential for practitioners who meet its education requirements and practice with required supervision while progressing toward registration.
ATR — Registered Art Therapist: an ATCB credential recognizing qualifying education and supervised clinical experience through an accepted registration pathway.
ATR-BC — Board Certified Registered Art Therapist: an ATR who meets board certification requirements, including passing the ATCB examination.
ATCS — Art Therapy Certified Supervisor: a separate ATCB supervision credential. Verify the supervisor’s eligibility for the specific credential or license pathway involved.
State professional license: legal authorization to practice a regulated profession within that state’s scope and supervision rules. Check the license required for the assigned duties and service location.
Payer enrollment: recognition by a payment program or insurer in an eligible provider category. Enrollment, network participation and coverage require separate verification.
Verify each required credential or license with its issuing body. An art therapy credential does not automatically establish independent practice authority or insurance billing eligibility.
Ethics for employers
These employer practices translate professional ethical guidance into organizational responsibilities. Include them in contracts, supervision arrangements and service policies.
Responsibility
Employer practice
Clinical independence
Protect decisions about treatment, referral and service limits from revenue or productivity pressure. Do not demand psychological conclusions from an image alone.
Qualifications and supervision
Assign duties within verified competence and legal scope. Fund qualified supervision, consultation and professional development; allow time for preparation and documentation.
Consent and choice
Provide accessible explanations of the service, fees, confidentiality and supervision. Respect participation choices and material preferences; obtain required consent and assent when appropriate.
Artwork protection
Provide secure storage and written procedures for access, return, retention and disposal. Obtain separate, specific written permission for photography, display, reproduction or publicity. Declining publicity cannot reduce access to care.
Confidential information
Limit access to records and artwork to authorized purposes. Provide secure communication systems and explain permitted disclosures. Team membership does not create unrestricted access.
Professional boundaries
Address conflicts of interest and unequal power. Do not assign the art therapist to treat their own employees, students or supervisees.
Honest representation and billing
Describe staff qualifications accurately. Document and bill the service actually provided. Do not misidentify the rendering professional or use an unsupported diagnosis to obtain payment.
Access, concerns and continuity
Plan accessibility with participants. Provide a clear route for concerns and protect good-faith reporting. Arrange appropriate referral, coverage and transitions when services change.
Billing and reimbursement
Art therapy describes a professional service. A claim code describes the particular evaluation, psychotherapy or other covered service delivered. Select a code only when the service, practitioner, organization and payer requirements are met.
These are reference codes to review with your billing team. They do not establish coverage for every art therapy service or authorize every art therapist to bill them.
Procedure codes to review
Code
Service described
Employer billing check
90791
Diagnostic evaluation without medical services
Use for a qualifying diagnostic assessment performed within authorized scope. It is not a general orientation, art activity or routine intake code.
90832
Individual psychotherapy, 16–37 minutes
Document actual psychotherapy time and the treatment provided. Preparation, materials setup and cleanup do not extend the psychotherapy time.
90834
Individual psychotherapy, 38–52 minutes
Match the documented service and time to the code. Artmaking time counts only when it is part of the qualifying psychotherapy service.
90837
Individual psychotherapy, 53 minutes or more
Confirm medical necessity and any payer-specific limits or authorization requirements for the longer service.
90853
Group psychotherapy
The group must meet psychotherapy requirements. A creative, recreational or educational group does not qualify solely because art materials are used.
90846
Family psychotherapy with the identified person receiving treatment absent
Confirm the family service addresses that person’s treatment and meets applicable time and coverage requirements.
90847
Family psychotherapy with the identified person receiving treatment present
Confirm the family service, participation and documentation meet the payer’s requirements. Staff meetings are not family psychotherapy.
90785
Interactive complexity add-on
Report only with an eligible primary service when specified communication-complexity criteria are documented. Art materials alone do not justify this add-on.
G0176
Treatment-related activity therapy, including art therapy; at least 45 minutes. Primarily recreational activities do not qualify.
Medicare uses this HCPCS code in qualifying partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs (PHP/IOP). Apply facility and program rules; it is not a universal private-practice art therapy code.
Descriptions are plain-language summaries. Use current code definitions and payer policies for the date of service. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Reference reviewed October 21, 2026.
Provider identification and service location
221700000X — Art Therapist is the NUCC provider taxonomy classification. It identifies a specialty for provider records and enrollment; it is not a procedure code, state license or promise of reimbursement.
Common place-of-service values include 11 for an office, 10 when telehealth is received at home, and 02 when telehealth is received elsewhere. Confirm the payer’s place-of-service and modifier requirements for the actual service.
Confirm the payment pathway before starting
Practitioner: Verify the rendering professional’s license, supervision arrangements, enrollment, network status and effective dates.
Service: Confirm the covered benefit, procedure code, documented clinical need, any required diagnosis, authorization and visit limits.
Claim: Confirm the billing entity, professional or facility claim rules, location, modifiers and required documentation. A supervising professional’s involvement does not automatically make a service billable.
Financial agreement: Explain fees and the person’s responsibility when coverage is unavailable or a claim is denied. Establish a funding plan for services paid through contracts, grants or direct payment.
Medicare: Eligibility follows a Medicare-recognized provider category. An ATCB credential alone does not establish it. A practitioner who also qualifies as a mental health counselor or another recognized professional must meet that category’s requirements and enroll appropriately.
Indiana Medicaid: Check the current IHCP Behavioral Health Services module, subsequent bulletins and the person’s managed care plan. Provider, supervision, authorization and claim rules can differ by service and setting.
Choose ICD-10-CM diagnoses from the documented assessment within the practitioner’s authority. The use of art materials does not establish a diagnosis.
Hiring an Art Therapist
Use the job description on the following pages to define a paid art therapist position. Complete the bracketed fields, select qualifications that fit the work, and remove instructions before posting.
Define the position before recruiting
Identify the intended participants, service setting, responsibilities and reporting relationship. Include the art therapist when developing or revising the role.
Specify the art therapy credential level the position requires and the supervision the organization can provide. An ATR-P position needs a supervision plan appropriate to the practitioner and the work.
Confirm any state professional license needed for the assigned duties. Review art therapy credentials and state licenses separately with their issuing bodies.
Budget for preparation, documentation, collaboration, supervision, setup and cleanup alongside direct service time.
Provide an accessible workspace, privacy appropriate to the service, materials and protected artwork storage. Describe these resources in recruitment materials.
Review education accurately
Art therapy preparation includes graduate study specific to the profession and supervised experience. A general mental health degree or a short workshop alone does not establish art therapy qualifications. Current ATCB requirements include recognized related degree pathways with additional art therapy education; avoid excluding a qualified applicant solely because the degree title differs.
Verify with the issuing body
Check the current status of each required credential or license. Confirm supervision arrangements directly. Credential status does not by itself establish authorization for every duty in a job description.
Art Therapist Job Description
Organization and program[Organization and program name]
Location and service format[Location and in person or telehealth arrangements]
Employment arrangement and schedule[Employee or contractor; hours; schedule]
Compensation and benefits[Salary or hourly range; benefits and paid professional time]
Reports to[Position title and professional role]
Supervision available[Art therapy supervision; any separate licensure supervision; provider and funding]
Position summary
[Organization] is seeking an art therapist to provide [services] with [intended participants] in [setting]. The art therapist will integrate art media and creative processes within a professional therapeutic relationship and collaborate with [team or partners]. Responsibilities will reflect the practitioner’s verified preparation, credential status and applicable legal scope.
Required qualifications
Graduate art therapy preparation meeting current ATCB education requirements through an art therapy degree or another recognized pathway with the required art therapy coursework and supervised training.
Current [select the accepted ATCB credential levels: ATR-P, ATR or ATR-BC]. Verify status through ATCB and specify the supervision available for the position.
[Specify any additional state professional license required for the actual duties and which license levels are accepted.]
Preparation relevant to [participants, setting and responsibilities], with accessible communication, culturally responsive practice and attention to trauma and sensory needs.
Preferred preparation[List additional preparation directly relevant to the position]
Responsibilities
Develop service goals collaboratively with the person receiving art therapy and with authorized partners when appropriate.
Plan and provide [individual, group, family or other specified] art therapy within the agreed professional role.
Select and adapt art materials, structure and pacing in response to the person, context, access needs and therapeutic purpose.
Support participation without requiring artistic skill or pressuring people to disclose personal experiences through their artwork.
Use assessment methods only within documented competence and legal scope. Include diagnosis among duties only where the practitioner is authorized to provide it.
Explain services, participation choices and confidentiality in accessible language. Obtain required consent and involve the person in decisions about their care.
Complete timely documentation and coordinate with authorized team members and referral partners.
Protect personal information and artwork using the organization’s documented procedures for access, storage, sharing, return and retention.
Use consultation, supervision, referral and emergency procedures appropriate to the service. Contribute to program evaluation without treating artistic quality as a measure of therapeutic progress.
Working arrangements and employer support
Workload and service expectations[Caseload or group size; session length; direct service and other work time]
Workspace and resources[Accessible space; privacy; materials budget; storage; setup and cleanup arrangements]
Professional support[Supervision schedule; consultation; continuing education; coverage during absence]
How to apply
Application materials and contact[Resume or CV; relevant qualifications; application route; contact]
Closing date and recruitment access[Date or open until filled; contact for application accommodations]
Application materials should exclude identifiable client information and client artwork.
Planning an Art Therapy Program
Type your responses below, then download the worksheet to keep them.
Complete this worksheet with a qualified art therapist and people connected to the proposed service. Record program decisions and open questions without identifiable information about individuals receiving care.
Purpose and participation
Who is the service intended to reach, and what do those people identify as useful or important?
Who has helped shape the proposal? Whose perspective still needs to be included?
What will the service address? How will the person receiving art therapy participate in setting goals?
Define the setting, individual or group format, frequency, duration, group size and proposed service period.
How will people hear about, enter and leave the service? Identify fees, referrals, waiting periods and eligibility criteria.
Professional role and staffing
Specify the work the art therapist will provide and how it connects with other services. Identify any assessment, diagnosis or treatment duties that require additional authorization.
Record the art therapy education and ATCB credential required, any additional state license, the verification route and the person responsible for checking them.
Who will provide art therapy supervision and any separate licensure supervision? Record qualifications, frequency, cost, protected time and backup arrangements.
Allocate time for direct service, preparation, documentation, collaboration, supervision and cleanup. Describe caseload or group limits and coverage during absence.
Define contributions from artists, educators, support staff, volunteers and other professionals. How will each activity and professional role be described?
Identify referral partners, authorized information sharing, consultation routes, continuity arrangements and responsibilities when needs exceed the service.
Access and resources
Plan for communication, language, mobility, sensory needs, neurodivergence, cultural context, transportation and digital access as relevant. How can people request changes or another way to participate?
Identify privacy, lighting, ventilation, water access, adaptable surfaces, material hazards and cleanup needs. What materials and storage will be available?
Who explains the service, obtains consent and addresses assent when relevant? Define confidentiality limits and procedures for records, observation and information sharing.
Specify physical and digital storage, access, return, retention and disposal. Record how permissions for photographs, display or other use will be handled separately.
Estimate staffing, supervision, materials, workspace, administration, access supports and evaluation costs. Identify startup and continuing expenses.
Identify confirmed funding, participant charges and any payer requirements. Verify coverage, provider eligibility and permitted billing before describing a service as reimbursable.
Evaluation and implementation
What changes matter to the people using the service? Select ways to understand progress that fit its purpose and avoid judging people by the appearance of their artwork.
How will people share feedback or concerns accessibly? Who will review it, respond and adjust the service?
Name the people responsible for scheduling, documentation, supplies, privacy, urgent concerns and communication when services change or end.
List unresolved questions, who will resolve each one and the date needed. Include staffing, space, funding and referral arrangements that remain unconfirmed.
Use current credentialing, licensing and ethical guidance when completing the plan. This worksheet records organizational decisions; it does not establish an individual practitioner’s scope.
Art Therapy in Your Organization
Adapt the sample wording to the services your organization actually provides. Complete bracketed fields and align the language with the practitioner’s qualifications, applicable law and existing organizational procedures.
Organization and service[Organization and service name]
Responsible role and review date[Role; effective date; next review date]
Naming services and professional roles
[Organization] uses the term art therapy for professional services provided by an art therapist with verified preparation appropriate to the work. Service descriptions identify the provider’s role, credentials, any applicable license and supervision status.
Other creative activities are described according to their purpose and the facilitator’s role. Artists, educators and other professionals may contribute within their own preparation and scope. Consultation, staff education and program development are identified separately when these are the services being provided.
Qualifications and supervision
[Responsible role] verifies the art therapist’s relevant graduate preparation, current ATCB credential and any professional license required for the assigned duties. Requirements reflect recognized credentialing pathways and the responsibilities of the position.
Where supervision is required, [organization] documents the supervisor, qualifications, schedule, funding and coverage arrangements. Art therapy supervision and supervision for another professional license are addressed separately when both apply.
Scope and collaboration
The art therapist’s responsibilities reflect documented competence and legal authority. Team members understand who provides each service and how to request consultation or referral. Duties involving diagnosis, specialized assessment or independent practice are assigned only when the practitioner is qualified and authorized for them.
Education for other staff identifies its purpose, limits and resulting qualifications. A workshop, consultation or shared art activity does not confer art therapist qualifications.
Consent and participation
Before services begin, [responsible practitioner] explains the service, goals, available choices, fees where relevant, supervision arrangements and limits of confidentiality in language the person can understand. Required consent is documented. When another person has legal authority to consent, the person receiving services is still involved in decisions and assent is sought where appropriate.
People can ask questions, discuss alternatives and decline a particular material, process or disclosure within the service context. Any limits on choice are explained. Access supports and material adaptations are planned with the person rather than assumed from a diagnosis or identity.
Confidentiality and communication
Personal information shared through conversation, images or creative process is handled according to applicable privacy requirements and professional obligations. [Organization] explains who may receive information, for what purpose and under which permissions or legal exceptions. Team membership alone is not treated as unrestricted access to artwork or personal disclosures.
Artwork and records
Artwork created in art therapy is treated as confidential personal material. [Organization] explains how physical works, photographs and digital files will be stored, accessed, returned, retained or disposed of. Procedures account for the person’s interests, relevant record requirements and the actual storage conditions.
The art therapist and [responsible organizational role] document arrangements for secure storage and service transitions. Artwork is not automatically used as decoration, a teaching example or organizational publicity.
Photography and other uses of artwork
Photographing, recording, displaying, reproducing or sharing artwork requires the appropriate written informed permission. Explain the proposed purpose, audience, location or platform, duration, identification choices and limits on withdrawing material once it has circulated.
Permission for publicity or display is addressed separately from agreement to receive services. Declining such permission does not reduce access to care. Omitting a name does not guarantee that an artwork or its context cannot identify its creator.
Workspace and materials
[Organization] provides space and resources suited to the service. The art therapist participates in decisions about materials, sensory demands, accessibility, privacy, storage and setup. Selection and pacing take account of the person’s preferences and possible emotional activation.
Referral and service continuity
When a person’s needs exceed the agreed service or the practitioner’s competence, [responsible role] coordinates appropriate consultation or referral. The program records emergency procedures, coverage during absence and arrangements when the service changes or ends.
Describing services to the public
Public descriptions accurately identify the service, provider and qualifications. Any payment or insurance information is confirmed for that provider, service and setting. Claims about outcomes reflect the available evidence and do not promise a particular result.
Example for an art therapy serviceArt therapy with [name and verified credentials] provides [service format] for [intended participants] at [setting]. Contact [service contact] for information about access, fees and participation.
Example for another creative program[Program name] offers [artmaking, arts education or other accurately named activity] facilitated by [name and role]. The program supports [stated purpose].
Example for staff education[Session name] provides education about [topic]. Participation does not establish art therapy credentials or authorize practice beyond the participant’s professional scope.
Feedback and organizational responsibility
People receiving services can ask questions, identify an access barrier or raise a concern through [accessible contact route]. [Responsible role] reviews concerns and program feedback, communicates next steps and updates procedures when needed.
