Art Therapists’ “Good Work”: Lessons From the Labor Movement

I have become accustomed to a lot of different reactions in my 20 plus years working as an art therapist. I do not have to explain what I do as much as I used to, a credit to the widening reach of the profession. Instead, I hear about what “good work” it is that I do and how “rewarding” it must be – especially my work with youth and young adults who are unhoused and others who are grieving. I generally smile but I think about implied messages that any intrinsic value is enough to endure the difficulties.

Many healthcare (including mental health) workers, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, have been described as hero/ines for doing their jobs in extreme circumstances. That may feel like appreciation but the shadow side of such a narrative is an expectation of selflessness (Cox, 2020). Given the high percentage of women in helping fields, the implicit bias of self-sacrifice connotes that those who are doing “God’s work” (another phrase I often hear) do so for charitable means – as if art materials and client progress alone pay the bills. When job stressors emerge, many practitioners are offered self-care as the remedy; but this only puts the onus on individuals who are suffering without changing institutional policies around psychological and physical safety, funding, and collegial support (Apgar & Parada, 2023). The accumulated workplace inadequacies may account for increasing numbers of art therapists seeking self-employment over agency-based work (American Art Therapy Association, 2021) to allow for schedule flexibility, increased pay, and overall autonomy (Mikel, 2013).

Individual remedies – self-care and job changes – can only go so far when what is needed are systemic changes. For the most part, attention to art therapist’s work is limited to licensure efforts, which is necessary for defining professional standards and safeguarding clients. Social workers Farr (2021) and Zelnick et al. (2022) note the limitations of individual action and professional associations for fundamentally altering workplace deficits. By taking notice of how nurses and teachers support themselves, they draw lessons from the labor movement for reforming work conditions as part of a comprehensive approach to reducing burnout and improving client services.

The labor movement is one of the oldest and most diverse social movements that arose in response to class-based inequities to ensure workplace safety and fair compensation so that workers could have a living wage (Kelly, 2022). Employee demands cross many industries – as evidenced in 2023 throughout the U.S. by nurses, autoworkers, teachers, warehouse employees, actors, food service workers, writers, and others (Desilver, 2024). Although salaries and benefits are a major thrust, they are not the only demands. Labor organizers focus on the right to association combined with strong protections that offer workers a voice in decision making, transparency in work schedules, opportunities for training and advancement, and the ability to challenge leadership without fear of retribution. Art therapists may find inspiration in the range of visual and other arts forms that labor organizers have utilized to promote their messages and build solidarity (www.laborheritage.org).

A key to success is strength in numbers, which is why organized labor movements typically coalesce in unions. A study of U.S. healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, therapists, technicians) found that those who are in a union received statistically higher pay and benefits (health, retirement, training, professional development, leave), especially for women and workers of color, compared to nonunion peers (Ahmed et al., 2022). When workers are ignored, one of their points of leverage is to withhold their labor. Chima (2020) supports healthcare workers ethically participating in a strike by balancing protection for workers with care for clients and patients.

Although labor is core to social justice, art therapists have tended to focus more on identity-related areas. Alvarez (in Junge et al., 1993) offers one of the few examples of an art therapist and trade unionist engaging labor strategies for workplace advocacy. In adopting a labor consciousness, art therapists can turn their attention to workplace equity and collective action. Such a perspective is crucial given how frequently art therapists may be the only one at their agencies, work as contractors, and have little union access. Still, art therapists can petition employers to demonstrate how much they value their services by providing commensurate salaries and benefits equal to other masters-level professionals at their agencies. The same is true for accessible spaces, reasonable caseloads, provided supervision, and adequate supply budget. Labor activists know that power lies in camaraderie, whether within one’s field or across allied professions. Collegial discussions offer commiseration and knowledge but, just as importantly, a unified front for negotiations with decision makers. These combined strategies allow art therapists to ensure their “good work” is also fair and equitable.

In This Issue

In this issue, several art therapists address aspects of work. Janet Kempf, Stacey Nelson, and Christine Czuhajewski describe their personal experience of workplace violence integrated with guidelines to protect art therapists. In their application of Kellogg’s theory of the Archetypal Stages of the Great Round of the Mandala, Renée van der Vennet and Anna Ciancio highlight the emotional labor and professional identity development of art therapy students. Although not connected to traditional notions of work, Zachary Van Den Berg’s proposed Ar(t)chive of Queer Forms demonstrates the efforts that art therapists need to undertake to ensure culturally responsive services without putting burden on clients to educate their providers.

The function of research participants can be a little considered aspect of labor. Sharon Snir, Shoval Ben-Simon, Dafna Regev, and Atara Ben-Haim studied how research participants perceive their roles in ways that better themselves, their agencies, and the profession. In a related manner, the study by Patricia Isis, Rebecca Bokoch, Grace Fowler, and Noah Hass-Cohen indicates how research participants can receive mental health benefits from participating in intervention studies. Evie Soape, Casey Barlow, Michelle Torrech Pérez, Marissa Hart, David Gussak, Anna Schubarth, and Cameron Sumner describe ethical consideration for involving incarcerated clients in advocacy and educating prison staff to ensure that their client’s efforts are accurately directed and non-exploitive.

As each of the contributions to this issue demonstrate, there are aspects of work to consider across diverse interactions. For further inspiration, Eliana Marí Rojas Doze’s feature art offers the bold reminder that what seems fragmented can coalesce into a vibrant cohesion with a combination of intentional action and reframing perspectives. Likewise, the labor movement offers lessons for sustained workplace parity for both clients and art therapists.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.