BA MAJOR & MINOR

What You’ll Study

The expressive arts therapy major emphasizes the creative process as healing. You’ll integratepsychology,social workand the expressive arts, such asmusicandart, while exploring the cultural, historical, and global context of these artistic expressions. Through this pre-professional program, you’ll be exposed to creative processes that help individuals improve their well-being – psychosocial, emotional, physical, and neurological.

Preparing for Your Future

While our Expressive Arts Therapy major does not provide certification, it gives you a solid and competitive background that prepares you for graduate training, certification, and careers in in expressive arts therapy or art therapy.

In addition to a direct path to MA in Art Therapy programs, you’ll be prepared for several other types of graduate programs by combining the Expressive Arts Therapy major or minor with specific other majors or minors, including:

  • MA in Music Therapy (when combined withMusic)
  • MA or PhD in Counseling or Clinical Psychology (when combined withPsychology)
  • Masters of Social Work (when combined withSocial WorkorPsychology)

Art therapy uses expressive modalities as a therapeutic tool. It’s an opportunity for people to explore themselves, to express things that they’re feeling, to get out in some other way what they’re feeling.

Martha Knight-Oakley, chair of the Warren Wilson College Department of Psychology

Explore Classes in This Program

SWK 2020

Skills of Helping Others

This course helps you develop the skills necessary to establish and build helping relationships. Active listening and empathetic communication are emphasized. You’ll enhance your learning with 10 hours of service learning that involves direct interaction with others and reflection on your experience.

ART 1040

Introduction to Handbuilding

本工作室课程的重点是使用手工建造技术的雕塑和容器概念，强调建筑技能的发展和对形式、表面和烧制可能性的理解。

PSY 3260

Theories and Techniques of Counseling and Psychotherapy

This course explores major theories and techniques utilized in psychotherapeutic settings. Through a combination of readings, discussion, and active role-playing, you’ll examine behavioral, cognitive, existential, humanistic, interpersonal, and psychodynamic approaches to treatment.

Still curious? See the Curriculum
Meet Our Faculty

My students love complexity. They want to understand people in all our beautiful, gory detail. They want to have an impact on quality of life. They absolutely inspire me with their questions and research and action.

Martha Knight-Oakley, Ph.D.
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Martha Knight-Oakley
Martha Knight-Oakley, Ph.D.
Robert Swoap

Teaching at Wilson keeps me young. My students often laugh at my silliness, but they know I would do almost anything for them to thrive. I see myself as a guide and a mentor. For that, I feel deeply grateful.

Robert Swoap, Ph.D.
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Robert Swoap
Robert Swoap, Ph.D.
Kevin Kehrberg

As a professor, I love that Warren Wilson students are unafraid to take risks, to challenge themselves, and to engage a topic or a work of art despite whether it aligns with their opinions or preferences.

Kevin Kehrberg, Ph.D.
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Kevin Kehrberg
Kevin Kehrberg, Ph.D.
Martha Knight-Oakley

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