Congrats to Hood’s First Art Therapy Majors

One of Hood’s newest undergraduate majors, art therapy, has officially produced its first graduating cohort: Anna Leplatt ’24 and Sophia Townsend ’24.

Art therapy is a unique program jointly offered within the Department of Psychology and Counseling and the Department of Art and Archaeology. The curriculum combines health science and art education, and the program requires a semester-long internship within a real-world clinical setting. Students also have the option of combing the art therapy major with a master’s in counseling through the 4PLUS dual-degree program.

“The art therapy major is a great choice for students with an interest in art and psychology. It allows them a chance to apply their love of the arts to a future career in therapy,” said Sangeeta Gupta, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology and coordinator of the art therapy program. “There’s a big place for art therapists, especially in school settings, where children might benefit greatly from the use of art to improve emotional and mental well-being.”

Both Leplatt and Townsend were drawn to the art therapy major through a desire to improve mental health within their communities by using creative means.

“My end goal has always been to become a clinical counselor and work with individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder,” said Leplatt. “When I was talking to the program directors for art therapy, it was explained to me as therapy while using art as a nonverbal form of communication. Art had always been so special to me and my own expression that I fell in love with the idea of being able to help others develop that same use of the expression.”

Townsend recalls that her proudest achievement during her time at Hood was participating in the Transformative Arts Project’s Photovoice exhibit in 2023. “The project involved collaborating with local groups from all different backgrounds and inviting them to share their lived experiences through a metaphorical lens,” said Townsend.

Following graduation, Leplatt plans to attend graduate school at Shippensburg University, pursuing the clinical mental health counseling program, while Townsend hopes to take a gap year to work before also entering graduate school.

For any prospective students interested in entering the art therapy program, Townsend suggests reaching out to local therapists and counselors for advice. Leplatt, meanwhile, had these words of wisdom to share: “It’s such a unique opportunity that most college students don’t have. Art therapy is such a new field that you get to truly be part of history.”

Learn more about Hood’s art therapy program here.