What are counseling and art therapy professions?
Counseling is a mental health profession in which a counselor builds a professional relationship to empower diverse individuals, families and groups to support mental health and wellness.
Art therapy is a mental health profession in which an art therapist facilitates client engagement in creative processes of art making and understanding resulting artworks for wellness and mental health.
We prepare all graduates to seek Professional Counselor Licensure and Registered Art Therapist Credentials.
Program Benefits
Learn how to prescribe art processes and media for clients in our spacious studio.
Additionally, create response art in our fully-stocked, 2,000-square-foot studio, which is available to students around-the-clock.
Response art making facilitates self-awareness and depth, helping students process experiences with academics, life and clients.
Students are trained and encouraged to keep a visual journal throughout the program.
Execute a culminating project of excellence and work with faculty on research.
Projects may include:
- Human subjects research
- Nonhuman subjects research
- Art therapy advocacy and art shows
- Social justice
- Community engagement
- Service learning
Students can also partner with faculty on research.
Develop your own integrated theoretical approach to practicing counseling and art therapy and explore sub-specializations.
Learn psychological theories and evidence-based practices applied to counseling and art therapy to develop an integrative theoretical approach that works best for your clients and matches your values and beliefs. During your studies in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling tracks, you may also explore sub-specializations.
You can select sub-specializations in:
- Trauma & Neuroscience Informed Counseling & Art Therapy
- Art therapy in schools
- Depth psychology
- Geriatric art therapy
- Medical art therapy
- Community Art
Engage with standardized patients to develop your counseling & art therapy skills and receive immediate feedback in your first two weeks on campus.
Work with children, adolescents, and adults over three semesters at three of our 50 internship sites in Hampton Roads.
You will practice service learning in many settings, including working with community members through our Arts for Optimal Health Program. Our students are dedicated to caring for individuals in a way that:
- Embrace diverse perspectives and lived experiences for prevention and wellness
- Fosters a climate of openness to explore using the creative process
- Provides compassionate service to individuals, the community and our world
- Enacts social justice
The positive employment rate for Class of 2022 graduates is 100%.
Our graduates are world-class counselors and art therapists who are culturally responsive, community-involved and ethical professionals with successful careers. Explore alumna Paige Scheinberg's story.
Learn how to prescribe art processes and media for clients in our spacious studio.
Additionally, create response art in our fully-stocked, 2,000-square-foot studio, which is available to students around-the-clock.
Response art making facilitates self-awareness and depth, helping students process experiences with academics, life and clients.
Students are trained and encouraged to keep a visual journal throughout the program.
Execute a culminating project of excellence and work with faculty on research.
Projects may include:
- Human subjects research
- Nonhuman subjects research
- Art therapy advocacy and art shows
- Social justice
- Community engagement
- Service learning
Students can also partner with faculty on research.
Develop your own integrated theoretical approach to practicing counseling and art therapy and explore sub-specializations.
Learn psychological theories and evidence-based practices applied to counseling and art therapy to develop an integrative theoretical approach that works best for your clients and matches your values and beliefs. During your studies in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling tracks, you may also explore sub-specializations.
You can select sub-specializations in:
- Trauma & Neuroscience Informed Counseling & Art Therapy
- Art therapy in schools
- Depth psychology
- Geriatric art therapy
- Medical art therapy
- Community Art
Engage with standardized patients to develop your counseling & art therapy skills and receive immediate feedback in your first two weeks on campus.
Work with children, adolescents, and adults over three semesters at three of our 50 internship sites in Hampton Roads.
You will practice service learning in many settings, including working with community members through our Arts for Optimal Health Program. Our students are dedicated to caring for individuals in a way that:
- Embrace diverse perspectives and lived experiences for prevention and wellness
- Fosters a climate of openness to explore using the creative process
- Provides compassionate service to individuals, the community and our world
- Enacts social justice
The positive employment rate for Class of 2022 graduates is 100%.
Our graduates are world-class counselors and art therapists who are culturally responsive, community-involved and ethical professionals with successful careers. Explore alumna Paige Scheinberg's story.
FAQs
Counseling & Art Therapy is one of several programs at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences EVMS School of Health Professions at Old Dominion University.
The EVMS School of Health Professions has more than 21 programs with over 750 students. The MD program - separate from the School of Health Professions - enrolls approximately 150 students each year. Brock Virginia Health Sciences is an academic health center with multiple relationships in the community and across programs. Our program awards a master's degree, not a Doctor of Medical Education, thus one is not attending medical school.
The Counseling & Art Therapy admission requirements are entirely separate from admissions requirements for other programs at the medical school, which vary according to the degree being sought (e.g., MD, MPH, MPA, etc.).
The demands of the program make it difficult for students to work, although some students have been able to find part-time jobs with enough flexibility in hours (such as waiting tables) so that their schoolwork is not compromised.
There are several institutional scholarships, including the Administrative Resource Council Scholarship, James Consoli Counseling & Art Therapy Scholarship and EVMS School of Health Professions Scholarship.
Find more information about scholarships.
Art Therapy and Counseling students are eligible for these scholarships, as well as financial aid and outside scholarships.
Approximately half our graduates from each graduating class remain in the Hampton Roads area, where they find jobs at mental health facilities, shelters, detention centers, community services boards and the like. Those who are willing to relocate often move in pursuit of a particular job with a particular age group.
There are some campus housing options available for students, residents and fellows.
Students who live close to campus can bike or walk to class or take public transportation (bus or lightrail), but we recommend that students have a car to reliably get to their internship sites during their three semesters of internships.
No. We have a wealth of internship opportunities available, although we encourage students with particular interests to discuss with us the possibility of new sites.
Students complete internships during the summer semester between the first and second year.
You will be making quite a lot of art within the context of the program: in Processes and Materials class, in some other classes, for class assignments and for special projects. In addition, you will be encouraged to keep a visual journal throughout the program. The fully-stocked studio is available 24/7 for your art making, academic or personal.
Additional Information
Counseling & Art Therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE). Read our Statement on Licensure.
Counseling & Art Therapy offers the following two stand-alone graduate certificates.
These certificates target continuing education for alumni and area art therapists based on coursework to meet continuing education standards, fill gaps in education, and engage in the developing literature in the field.
Educational Format
Classes are taught online or on campus during fall, spring, or summer terms. There may be unforeseen circumstances such as low registration numbers where on-campus delivery mode sections will be moved into an online delivery mode section.
Admissions Requirements and Application Procedure »
Tuition
Tuition will be based on our current per-credit-hour rate.
Counseling & Art Therapy has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an approved continuing education provider, ACEP No. 6399.
Employment Rate
The average positive employment for the graduating classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024 rate was 100%.
Retention Rate
The average of the graduating classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026 is 88%, which exceeds accreditation standards.
Counseling & Art Therapy hosts several information sessions throughout the year. These meetings are intended to cover the basics of the ATC profession and specifics about our program's application process and educational dynamics.
There are two basic formats.
On-campus sessions
This format usually involves a presentation by the program director, a Q&A with the director, alumni, and current students. Student-guided tours of the school and campus are also offered.
Open House
Saturday, January 24, 2026
10:00am -12:30pm
Register »
Webinars
Counseling & Art Therapy hosts 1-hour webinars for interested applicants. These live presentations will cover the same material given to on-campus attendees and include a Q&A session. Attendees are granted access to the meeting space the week before the event and will need high-speed internet access and functioning speakers to participate.
- 11/6/25: 11am-12pm
- 11/24/25: 1pm-2pm
- 12/1/25: 3pm-4pm
- 12/11/25: Noon-1pm
- 1/8/26: 3pm-4pm
- 1/20/26: 1pm-2pm
- 2/2/26: Noon-1pm
- 2/12/26: 1pm-2pm
- 3/24/26: 11am-12pm
- 4/16/26: 2pm-3pm
- 6/18/26: 11am-12pm
- 7/15/26: 12:30pm-1:30pm
Register »
Any student may earn a Sub-Specialty designation on her/his degree by taking the combination of elective coursework and/or designated internship and with Program Director approval as stated in the electives policies. Sub-Specialty areas of study are recommended by the Education Program Approval Board (AATA) revised standards “Sub-Specializations.” The Counseling & Art Therapy program supports sub-specializations to build comprehensive and specialty skills in multiple areas of practice and study. Sub-Specializations may be taught by a credentialed Counseling & Art Therapy Faculty and/or credentialed specialist in counseling or other subject area. A student may designate and earn any or no sub-specializations.
Electives which are designated as Sub-Specializations will become a degree requirement^ if the student follows the policies and procedures (subject to continued satisfactory academic progress, eligible enrollment, and Program Director approval). Some space per sub-specialization may be limited based on internship availability and approval of sub-specializations is at the discretion of the program director. Application Due Dates: Spring (Oct. 15) Summer (Dec. 1) Fall (Jun. 15).
* Coursework is a part of the regular course sequence; coursework is paired with elective(s) for sub-specialization.
^ Contact Financial Aid for more information.
Counseling & Art Therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE). Read our Statement on Licensure.
Counseling & Art Therapy offers the following two stand-alone graduate certificates.
These certificates target continuing education for alumni and area art therapists based on coursework to meet continuing education standards, fill gaps in education, and engage in the developing literature in the field.
Educational Format
Classes are taught online or on campus during fall, spring, or summer terms. There may be unforeseen circumstances such as low registration numbers where on-campus delivery mode sections will be moved into an online delivery mode section.
Admissions Requirements and Application Procedure »
Tuition
Tuition will be based on our current per-credit-hour rate.
Counseling & Art Therapy has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an approved continuing education provider, ACEP No. 6399.
Employment Rate
The average positive employment for the graduating classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024 rate was 100%.
Retention Rate
The average of the graduating classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026 is 88%, which exceeds accreditation standards.
Counseling & Art Therapy hosts several information sessions throughout the year. These meetings are intended to cover the basics of the ATC profession and specifics about our program's application process and educational dynamics.
There are two basic formats.
On-campus sessions
This format usually involves a presentation by the program director, a Q&A with the director, alumni, and current students. Student-guided tours of the school and campus are also offered.
Open House
Saturday, January 24, 2026
10:00am -12:30pm
Register »
Webinars
Counseling & Art Therapy hosts 1-hour webinars for interested applicants. These live presentations will cover the same material given to on-campus attendees and include a Q&A session. Attendees are granted access to the meeting space the week before the event and will need high-speed internet access and functioning speakers to participate.
- 11/6/25: 11am-12pm
- 11/24/25: 1pm-2pm
- 12/1/25: 3pm-4pm
- 12/11/25: Noon-1pm
- 1/8/26: 3pm-4pm
- 1/20/26: 1pm-2pm
- 2/2/26: Noon-1pm
- 2/12/26: 1pm-2pm
- 3/24/26: 11am-12pm
- 4/16/26: 2pm-3pm
- 6/18/26: 11am-12pm
- 7/15/26: 12:30pm-1:30pm
Register »
Any student may earn a Sub-Specialty designation on her/his degree by taking the combination of elective coursework and/or designated internship and with Program Director approval as stated in the electives policies. Sub-Specialty areas of study are recommended by the Education Program Approval Board (AATA) revised standards “Sub-Specializations.” The Counseling & Art Therapy program supports sub-specializations to build comprehensive and specialty skills in multiple areas of practice and study. Sub-Specializations may be taught by a credentialed Counseling & Art Therapy Faculty and/or credentialed specialist in counseling or other subject area. A student may designate and earn any or no sub-specializations.
Electives which are designated as Sub-Specializations will become a degree requirement^ if the student follows the policies and procedures (subject to continued satisfactory academic progress, eligible enrollment, and Program Director approval). Some space per sub-specialization may be limited based on internship availability and approval of sub-specializations is at the discretion of the program director. Application Due Dates: Spring (Oct. 15) Summer (Dec. 1) Fall (Jun. 15).
* Coursework is a part of the regular course sequence; coursework is paired with elective(s) for sub-specialization.
^ Contact Financial Aid for more information.
