Expressive Therapies | Intermountain Home

Expressive Therapies use creative and expressive arts such as dance, music, visual arts, drama, poetry, and story-telling as therapeutic tools to facilitate growth and healing. These creative modalities and interventions address individualized patient goals and focus on the process and experience of the expressive arts rather than the final product.

Here at Primary Children’s Hospital our Expressive Therapies team is comprised of Art Therapy, Dance/Movement Therapy, and Music Therapy. The Expressive Therapies program at Primary Children’s Hospital is 100% philanthropy funded, and therefore services are provided at no cost to those patients and families receiving care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to be an artist, musician, or dancer to participate in expressive therapies?

People of all artistic and musical abilities who are willing to participate can benefit from expressive therapies.

Are the expressive therapies only for young children?

Expressive therapies are for people of all ages. At Primary Children’s, our art therapists provide services to children ages 2 -19 and our dance/movement and music therapists provide services to children ages 0 -19. At times , the team also provides expressive therapies services to siblings, parents and caregivers as well.

Can families and siblings participate in expressive therapies?

Yes! Our services can involve and benefit the whole family.

How do I request expressive therapies?

Expressive Therapies are referral based and can be requested by talking to any member of your child’s care team.

Are art, dance, and music therapy the same as art, dance or music education?

While these services are not art, dance, or music education, there are aspects of education in sessions. An art therapist may instruct a participant about how to best use materials or provide brief tutorials on art - making techniques. Similarly, a music therapist may provide instruction on an instrument as part of the therapeutic process. The goal is not to teach these skills, but to use art/dance/music to achieve therapeutic goals such as providing room for emotional expression, positive coping, exploration of life experiences, and normalization of the hospital experience.

What is an expressive therapist's education and background? 

An art therapist must complete a master's program from an accredited art therapy program that combines counseling and the use of art making in the therapeutic process. The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) requires students from accredited art therapy programs to complete a minimum 700 hours of practicum and internship work before receiving their degree. Art therapists can then go on to earn a Registered Art Therapist (ATR/ATR-BC) credential by completing 1000 hours of direct client care supervised by a board-certified art therapist (ATR-BC). Art therapists are also eligible for counseling licensure (ACMHC/CMHC) in Utah.

Similarly, a dance/movement therapist must complete a master's program from an accredited dance/movement therapy program. The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) requires students from accredited dance therapy programs to complete a minimum 700 hours of practicum and internship work before receiving their degree. Registered dance/movement therapists (RDT) can then go on to earn a Board Certification (BC-DMT) credential by completing 2000 hours of direct client care supervised by a board-certified dance/movement therapist. Dance/movement therapist are also eligible for counseling licensure (ACMHC/CMHC) in Utah.

Music therapists must complete a bachelor’s program from an accredited music therapy program. The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) requires students from accredited music therapy programs complete a minimum of 1040 hours of internship work before receiving their degree and sitting for the board certification exam. Music therapists can then receive their music therapy board certification (MT-BC).