{"id":8431,"date":"2020-10-08T12:51:11","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T17:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/?p=8431"},"modified":"2020-10-09T09:43:00","modified_gmt":"2020-10-09T14:43:00","slug":"sau-to-offer-bfa-in-art-therapy-in-spring-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/2020\/sau-to-offer-bfa-in-art-therapy-in-spring-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"SAU to offer BFA in pre-art therapy in spring 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ashley Lawrence and her brother work on an art project.<\/p><\/div>\n

Southern Arkansas University will begin offering a bachelor of fine arts degree in Art & Design with a concentration in Pre-Art Therapy in spring 2021. The 120-credit hour undergraduate program was recently approved by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.<\/p>\n

The program represents a collaboration between the Department of Art and Design and the Department of Behavioral Sciences, uniting mental health with the creative process. The curriculum prepares those seeking admittance to a master\u2019s program in art therapy or a master\u2019s in counseling or related fields emphasizing art therapy.<\/p>\n

Dr. Deborah Wilson, chair of behavioral and social sciences, said that students have often inquired\u00a0about an art therapy program at SAU. \u201cUnder Steven Ochs\u2019 leadership, a plan was developed and approved so we are now able to offer another program that students wanted \u2013 one that can significantly impact human services,\u201d Wilson explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coursework balances art and psychology,\u201d said Ochs, chair of the art department. \u201cThe specific art therapy courses offer an overview into the history and growth of the discipline and the theoretical approaches that have evolved from the founding practitioners. Students develop a specific definition of art therapy that conveys a personal approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley Lawrence, who served as a curriculum advisor in the development of the program, will teach Introduction to Art Therapy. Lawrence graduated from SAU in 2015 with a BFA, Studio Emphasis, and a BA in English with a writing minor. Her discovery of art therapy as a student inspired her to explore it as a career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am excited that my passion for the field has allowed me to return to my roots and teach Introduction to Art Therapy this spring,\u201d Lawrence enthused. \u201cI aim to introduce students to the concepts more thoroughly explored in a master\u2019s degree program.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy is an integrative\u00a0profession that enriches lives through\u00a0active art-making, applied psychological theory, and human experience. Students will acquire a broad understanding of the applications, theories, and career paths when preparing to apply to accredited art therapy or other related counseling graduate programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs art therapists, our role is to help clients understand feelings that arise throughout the creative process,\u201d said Lawrence. \u201cThis artwork isn’t meant for display. It serves as a confidential testimony to healing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Art therapy offers a means of communication for those unable to express themselves with words alone. People experiencing such difficulties\u00a0as divorce or the loss of a loved one\u00a0may benefit from participating in art therapy.<\/p>\n

\u201cArt therapists can fulfill workplace\u00a0roles in hospitals, residential treatment facilities, prisons, shelters, schools, and private practice,\u201d Lawrence explained. \u201cArt therapy might be new to Arkansas, but the field is well-established and proven across numerous populations.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about the pre-art therapy program at SAU contact Steven Ochs at 870.235.5053.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Southern Arkansas University will begin offering a bachelor of fine arts degree in Art & Design with a concentration in Pre-Art Therapy in spring 2021. The 120-credit hour undergraduate program was recently approved by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. The program represents a collaboration between the Department of Art and Design and the Department… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":564,"featured_media":8432,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[309,297,207,7753],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8431","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-art-and-design","8":"category-bss","9":"category-college-of-liberal-performing-arts","10":"category-homepage","11":"entry"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/564"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}