Integration of Art Therapy and Art Education

Abstract

This final paper was written to point out the beneficial attributes of art therapy and art education integration into the k-12 educational system providing constructive student development. Currently, art education has been slowly removed from school curriculum due to mostly budget cuts and the inability to prove its importance, as necessary, through standardized testing. Art therapy however, has seen an increase of notability in today’s world. By combing the techniques used in art therapy with the structure found in art rooms, students will be provided an outlet as they go through developmental stages that can be confusing, scary, difficult, etc. Results configured by a survey built to gain the perspective of the public opinion debating the integration of art therapy in art education classes, proves that the integration would be valuable for student development. Conclusively, this thesis paper promotes the benefits of the integration of art therapy and art education in the k-12 education system.