The therapies that include art, drama, dance/movement, and music therapy address social, emotional, cognitive, and/or physical issues through the uniqueness of their art form. At ITA, the theoretical philosophy is “client centered.” At ITA, we approach our clients by focusing on their strengths, and design a program with goals to help them develop, improve, and change.
All of the therapies address two dimensions at the same time. These are “process” and “content.” This means that while learning a new skill, movement toward the end goal is always kept in mind. For example, when a client with a learning disability is in the process of learning to play an instrument, she/he is also learning about personal strengths, the ability to problem solve, the perception of the difficulties of learning, and the best way to make learning successful.
In the arts therapies, we are generally concerned more about “process” than “product.” In other words, we place more emphasis on helping our clients move through the steps of learning about themselves and their art form than the actual artistic output. What our clients learn, and how they interpret their work, takes more precedence than what it actually looks or sounds like. Some clients never see this as a goal so it is not something that we strive for in the therapeutic process.
All of the therapists at ITA have graduated from a nationally accredited college or university with a bachelors, masters, and/or doctorate degree in their therapy modality. The bachelor’s degree level music therapist has completed a minimum of 1040 supervised hours and successfully passed a Board Certification exam to begin practicing. Masters level art, music, dance/movement, and drama therapists have successfully completed all of the course work required, as well as internships, field placements, and extensive supervision. The doctoral level therapist has completed all of the coursework and research components for clinical psychology.
When therapy begins, a set of goals, called a “treatment plan,” is developed. If a client is moving toward these goals, then progress is being made. Sometimes in the course of working with a client, we find that other steps need to be taken in order to accomplish the goals. These steps may be subtle but can be seen through an examination of the client’s behaviors, thoughts, actions, and/or physical abilities. In this way, emphasis is placed on the process involved in reaching the goals, rather than focusing on the product. In therapy the goal is to improve upon emotional, behavioral, and physical skills, not artistic mastery. We are happy to see when skills develop, though it tends not to be the primary focal point of treatment.
We track the progress of our clients every week and make revisions to the treatment plans as needed. The time required for success is, of course, different for every person, since the goals are unique to each individual. It usually takes 3 weeks to assess and define goals, and then we look at the goals on a regular basis to evaluate success. If you have questions, it is best to address these concerns with the therapist assigned to you or to your family member.
Individual sessions are billed at the hourly rate of $76. Groups held on-site are $66 per clinical hour (50 minutes). In-home treatment is provided for $90 per hour. The rates for session held off-site are determined by a number of variables. Individuals and families in need of financial assistance are encouraged to apply for our financial aid.
We also see clients through contractual agreements with many facilities throughout the Chicagoland area. These rates at host facilities and organizations are negotiated prior to commencement of services. Feel free to tell administrators and health care workers about our services—they may be interested in bringing ITA to their facilities as well.
We can supply you with a special invoice with codes to send to your insurance company, but it essentially remains your responsibility to pay for the services in full each month. The insurance company will then reimburse you once they have received all of the required documentation. They are more likely to reimburse you if you can gain pre-approval for the service before starting the therapy. Call your insurance company to find out of they cover art, music, drama, or dance/movement therapy. Explain that although we are not “licensed” by the State of Illinois, we are certified and registered through our national organizations and certification boards. The fields of the expressive art therapy are growing in scope and understanding by third party payers, but we still have a ways to go in the medical insurance industry.
Yes. We have many individuals and groups who are seen in the school system. To have expressive arts therapies added to an IEP, a formal assessment process must be conducted. The assessment looks at the educational necessity of the art therapies as a related service.
Involvement for individual and group sessions begins with an intake appointment. This first meeting includes completion of a short interview form (by the potential client or family member), and a brief introduction to the four expressive arts modalities: art, music, drama, and dance. Upon recommendation of the ITA’s Clinical Committee, new clients are assigned to a therapist and/or group. One of our case coordinators will walk you through this process.