Creative Arts Therapists Report Lower Collective Self-Esteem but Higher Job Satisfaction Than Other Professionals

Some creative arts therapists see themselves as members of a marginalized profession compared to established health-care professions that have more political clout. This study compared job satisfaction and professional collective self-esteem (CSE) in a sample of 288 Israeli professionals: 158 creative arts therapists (of whom 48% were art therapists) and 130 clinical psychologists and social workers. Results confirmed that creative arts therapists reported significantly lower professional CSE but higher job satisfaction compared to the group of psychologists and social workers. Professional group affiliation moderated the association between job satisfaction and CSE, such that this association was only significant for psychologists and social workers. The study has implications for further demonstrating the effectiveness of the creative arts therapies and the necessity for legislative legitimization.