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What happens when art, therapy, and justice meet in one program? Explore how CIIS is shaping the next generation of expressive arts therapists.
California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) has been recognized by Forbes Advisor as one of the Best Art Therapy Master’s Programs in the country. This national recognition affirms the transformative power of CIIS’ unique approach to expressive arts therapy—an approach that blends clinical training, creative practice, and a commitment to social change.
At CIIS, the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in Expressive Arts Therapy is more than a degree. It’s an invitation to explore the arts as a language of healing, insight, and connection. Students are trained in a multimodal approach to therapy, integrating:
This creative foundation is paired with rigorous clinical training and practicum experiences, preparing graduates to serve diverse communities with skill, presence, and imagination.
The program is fully approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and supports eligibility for the Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT) credential through the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA).
CIIS’ Expressive Arts Therapy program is grounded in Integral Education—a philosophy that invites students to engage the whole self: mind, body, heart, and spirit.
Learning is not just academic but embodied and relational. Students learn alongside peers and faculty in group-based, arts-rich environments that emphasize:
Faculty embrace a scholar–artist–practitioner model, honoring the unique lived experiences, creative voices, and callings of each student.
In addition to weekly coursework, the program features residential intensives held in beautiful natural settings around the San Francisco Bay Area. These immersive gatherings offer students the chance to build deep connections, engage in intensive arts-based exploration, and practice community-centered healing.
Graduates of the Expressive Arts Therapy program are changing lives and shaping systems of care. They work in:
With dual eligibility for LMFT and LPCC licensure in California, CIIS alumni are well-equipped to serve in a wide range of therapeutic and community settings.
This Forbes Advisor recognition is a powerful affirmation of CIIS’ long-standing commitment to integral, creative, and justice-driven education. In a world that is increasingly in need of healing and imagination, expressive arts therapists are uniquely positioned to meet the moment.
Explore the Expressive Arts Therapy program at CIIS and discover how your creativity, compassion, and calling can come together in service to a more connected and compassionate world.
Embracing the power of the arts for healing, growth, and social change.
Groundbreaking clinic delivers affordable, clinically supervised psychedelic therapy while training the next generation of practitioners
The Wall Street Journal spotlights the growing field of integration therapy—and features Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research Director Dr. Janis Phelps discussing why the work that happens after a psychedelic experience is just as important as the experience itself.
As psychedelic use expands beyond clinical settings, CIIS' Dr. Janis Phelps and Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research graduates emphasize why rigorous training and ethical practices matter—wherever psychedelics are administered.
