My study abroad this summer is pivotal to my vocational goals. The service-learning opportunity I am pursuing in Wellington is an art therapy internship at a community center in Wellington. I want to become a licensed art therapist and use aspects of art therapy in my future counseling psychology practice, so the ability to learn about the field through a study abroad experience is an amazing opportunity.
The field of art therapy is still emerging as a practice, making the opportunities to intern or even observe a practice rare, especially as an undergraduate student. During this study abroad experience, I want to learn as much as I can about the cultural differences between the U.S. and New Zealand in the field of art therapy and hopefully use appropriate techniques from both cultures in my own practice later.
I want to learn about the ways art therapy sessions function, including how activities are chosen, how art therapists interact with their clients, and how clients have benefitted from the practice. Having an internship experience in the field before I decide to pursue art therapy in graduate school will help me decide if an art therapy career is the right choice for me and could help me get into a graduate school program for art therapy if I decide to continue pursuing the career. The skills I’ll learn while observing professionals in the field will inform hopefully inform my own future practice.
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