Metàfora - Universitat de Barcelona
The Masters' Degree in Art Therapy is a University of Barcelona postgraduate course run by Metáfora. Teaching is in Spanish and is carried out at Metàfora's premises. For any enquiries please contact : master@metafora.org
Academic Information
Administration
Closing Remarks
Work after qualification
Virtual Classroom (Student Access Only)
Introduction
The Masters' in Art Therapy is a University of Barcelona postgraduate course run by Metafora. The course was established in 1999 and was the first Masters' in this discipline in any Spanish speaking country.
The Masters' in Art Therapy was designed in accordance with the guidelines of the ATe (the Spanish Professional Association of Art Therapists), ECARTE (the European Consortium of Art Therapies in Education), the recommendations of the HPC (Health Professions Council, UK ), and, the majority of the requirements proposed by FEAP (the Spanish Federation of Psychotherapy Associations).
The Masters' in Art Therapy is a modular postgraduate course in which each module comprises one year of study. There are three modules in total and these are taken in blocks of monthly intensive weekends over three years.
The course comprises 1,180 hours of attendance, divided into theoretical classes, clinical practice, supervision and a range of experiential workshops. To these hours the students need to add approximately ten hours a week for private study, library, art work and personal therapy.
The theoretical foundation of the MA is psychodynamic and incorporates the following theoretical currents:
- Post-Constructivist Contemporary Art Theory
- British and American Theories of Art Therapy (Art Psychotherapy Theory)
- Independent, Object Relations and Intersubjectivist schools of Psychoanalysis.
- Group Analysis Theory and Existential Psychotherapy.
The criteria for accepting applications follow those set out elsewhere in this website. Personal experience and work experience are valued as highly as completed study.
The contents, timetable and cost of the Masters' can vary slightly from year to year. We recommend that you request specific information for each year's intake.
Objetives
- To train graduates in Fine Arts or Health and Education Sciences to practice professionally as Art Therapists.
- To relate clinical practice to the theories which underpin it.
- To provide the tools necessary for carrying out research in the field of Art Therapy.
The course comprises 1,180 hours of attendance, divided into theoretical classes, clinical practice, supervision and a range of experiential workshops. To these hours the students need to add approximately ten hours a week for private study, library, art work and personal therapy.
The University of Barcelona Masters ' in Art Therapy is run by Metáfora, Centre for Art and Art Therapy Studies . The Masters' is taught at the Metáfora site: Calle Papín 29, 08028 de Barcelona.
International Validation The MA in Art Therapy was designed in accordance with the guidelines of the ATe (the Spanish Professional Association of Art Therapists), ECARTE (the European Consortium of Art Therapies in Education), the recommendations of the HPC (Health Professions Council, UK ), and, the majority of the requirements proposed by FEAP (the Spanish Federation of Psychotherapy Associations).
Language
Classes on the MA are taught in Spanish with the occasssional exception of a few talks by invited English speaking speakers, which are given without translation. Most of the set reading is in English. However, Students must be fluent Spanish speakers to undertake this course. Understanding of the Catalan Language is very welcome as well, so it facilitates access to the Catalan health and educational resources.
Timetable
The course lasts three years on a part-time basis and is designed to enable access to students living elsewhere who can only come to Barcelona once a month.
It is made up of 1,180 hours of attendence.
In total, the MA amounts to approximately 2,300 hours.
1st Year
Students attend classes one weekend per month from October to July. These intensive weekends begin on Fridays at 14'30 and finish on Sundays at 18'00. First year students can attend an optional weekend which offers experiential Art Therapy workshops, at no additional cost.
2nd Year
As in the previous year, students attend classes one weekend per month from October to July. The intensive weekends begin on Fridays at 14'30 and finish on Sundays at 18'00. To these 10 weekends are addded ten Friday evenings (one per month) from 16' 00 to 20'30. for supervision, as well as a minimium of 8 hours per week for clinical practice. Those students living outside Catalonia can opt to attend only one supervision per month.
Second year students can attend an optional weekend which offers experiential Art Therapy workshops, at no additional cost.
3rd Year
The third year is dedicated exclusively to clinical practice, supervision and the writing up of the final thesis. Students attend only two Friday afternoons per month for supervision, from 16'00 to 20'00. To these hours are added eight hours of clinical practice. Those students living outside Catalonia can opt to attend only one supervision per month.
Admission Criteria
To take the MA you must be able to fullfil the following requirements:
Essential Requirements:
- You must be able to speak fluent Spanish
- You must be over 25 years old.
- You must be able to read English without difficulty.
- You must have a degree in Fine Art or Health-, Social- or Education-related sublects. Depending on work experience we occasionaly consider other qualifications.
- You must have work or voluntary experience in the fields of health, scoial care and/or education.
- You must have theoretical knowledge and experience in visual arts.
- That you have carried out a foundation course or equivalent in Art Therapy (preferably of a psychodynamic orientation).
- That you have been a member of an experiential Art Therapy group.
- That you have knowledge of Psychology.
- That you have knowledge of Psychotherapy (preferably of a psychodynamic orientation).
- That you have undergone a process of personal analysis or therapy prior to beginning the Masters'.
- That you are committed to undergoing a process of personal psychotherpy comprising one session per week during the whole three years of the MA.
Subjects
The Three Years
The first year of the MA is designed to lay the foundation on which the following two years are based. During the first year students receive the essential theoretical content needed to put Art Therapy into practice later on. As well as theroetical classes, students attend experiential classes, which are of great importance in the training of psycotherapists. In addition to attendance, students should dedicate some 2 study hours a day for art work, reading and course work. It is important that prospective students have the time to carry out their study without undue pressure. Students also begin their therapy during the first year..
In the second year students begin their clinical practice. Supervised clinical practice is at the heart of the MA, enabling knowledge acquired in other parts of the course to be put into practice. The six hundred hours of clinical practice on the MA (eight hours per week over two years) take place during the second and third years and can be carried out in public instituations in any part of Spain , or, in certain cases, abroad. Second and third-year students must have eight hours a week available for clinical practice.
Clinical practice must be in Art Therapy and must be carried out in centres with which the University of Barcelona has established a collaborative agreement. The MA ensures that there is a sufficient number of placements for all students to carry out their practice. Practice consists in carrying out an intervention project ageed by the supervisors on the MA as well as the centre involved.
The third year of the MA consists primarily of supervised clinical work, and culminates in a final Masters' dissertation. This consists of a Case Study which students submit in writing and present vive voce at the end of their studies.
1st Year
Experiential Art Therapy Group
Theory of Art Therapy
Applications of Art Therapy
Role Play
Theory of Psychoanalysis
Developmental Psychology
Group Analysis
Introduction to Psychopathology
Fine Arts
Large Group
Interdisciplinary Approaches
Art Therapy Seminars
Art Therapy Workshops
2nd Year
Experiential Art Therapy Group
Theory of Art Therapy
Applications of Art Therapy
Role Play
Methodology
Theory of Psychoanalysis
Psychopathology
Supervision
Fine Arts
Large Group
Interdisciplinary Approaches
Art Therapy Seminars
Art Therapy Workshops
3rd year
Supervision
Art Therapy Theory
Art Therapy Seminars
Art Therapy Workshops
Large Group:
Clinical Practice
The main aim of the MA is to prepare professionals from a range of disciplines to practice Art Therapy. Clinical practice is at the heart of the course.
Currently, our students are attending a total of approximately 200 patients in close to fifty centres, the majority of which are state-run.
To be able to take the MA students in the second and third years must have eight hours a week available for clinical practice (in addition to the intensive weekends) in order to complete the minimum 600 hours of practice over the two years. The centres and institutions where students carry out their practice sign a collaborative agreement with the University. .
Each year the University of Barcelona signs a student insurance policy. The policy includes third-party accident and injury insurance. Students can propose centres for practice if they have an interest in a particular centre.
As far as possible, the MA tries each year to increase the network of collaborating organisations in order to maximise opportunities and best meet the specific interests of our students.
Therapy
Art Therapy is a profession with a great deal of responsibility. Art Therapists work with very vulnerable groups demanding a high level of maturity and professional commitment. It is the responsibility of the MA to ensure that practical and theoretical knowledge is imparted correctly and, in turn, it is the responsibility of the student to begin a process of therapy which will ensure that they reach the necessary level of personal development to be able to practice with sufficient professional guarantees. Personal therapy during training is an essential learning tool which, together with Art Therapy groups, practice, supervision and theory, guarantees the high quality of the Art Therapy training at the University of Barcelona .
To complete the MA and to become a full member of the ATe (the Spanish Profesional Association of Art Therapists) students must have attended a minimum of 110 personal therapy sessions (approximately one session a week for three years).
Students who have not met this requirement at the end of the third year will be asked to continue on the course until completeing the necessary number of sessions. Psychotherapists whom the students choose must meet certain minimum professional and training requirements that are compatible with training in Art Therapy.
These requirements are as follows:
• That they have been trained in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.
• That they are members of a recognised professional association.
• That a minimum of five years has passed since completion of their training as psychotherapists.
• That they are willing to sign an attendance document which the student brings them at the end of the treatment. The therapy is not assessable. The Masters' has no contact with the students' therapists. Nor can teachers on the MA be therapists for the students under any circumstances.
The cost of therapy is paid by the student and is not included in the cost of registration on the course. Fees may be between 25 and 50 € per sessions approximately.
Methodology and Evaluation
The learning process and methodology on the MA are fundamentally experiential. In other words, theory is accessed through experience itself. The classes use observation and experience as the basis of their work. The monitorring of each student is individual and is carried out through regular tutorials.
Each subject has monthly work assignments. To complete a module of the Masters' and be able to go on to the next, it is necessary to have satisactorily completed the assignments of all the sublects comprising the module.
At the end of the Masters' the third-year students submit their written dissertation to an examining committee comprising the tutor and other teachers on the Masters' as well as external examiners.
Duing the July weekend students present their dissertations viva voce to the rest of the course.
Evaluation of students is on-going and takes into consideration a range of factors: • Class attendance (more than 20% absence means failing the current year).
• Punctuality.
• Participation in class.
• The performance and results of assignments and/or examinations.
• The carrying out of the required hours of clinical practice
• Attendance of personal therapy sessions (approximately 110 sessions in three years). If for some reason a student leaves the course half-way through or is invited to leave temporarily, they can retake the MA where they left off. In isolated cases we recommend students continue their practice for a fourth year if we consider that their work has been unsatisfactory. In such cases the fourth year consists of a repetition of the third.
Applications
Applicants must submit the application form together with a portfolio of art work. To obtain detailed information concerning the application process as well as to obtain the form, please contact Metafora's secretary directly. The application period starts at the beginning of February and ends at the end of July. Most applicants will be interviewed.
To view Additional Information and find the Application Form click here
Enrollment
You can only enroll once your application has been accepted, the application fee has been paid and you have submitted all the documantation requested by the University .. Enrollment at the University of Barcelona takes place during the month of October in the academic year in question.
Before the start of the course, Metáfora sends accepted applicants the necessary enrollment documents. The applicants return the completed documents to Metafora together with a cheque covering the remainder of the course fees for the year. Metafora then sends all the documentation and cheques together to the University.
Enrollment costs for the course 2007-2010 :
1st Year: 2,610.00€
2 nd year: 2,610.00€
3 rd year: 2,290.00€
Additional Information
The University of Barcelona does not currently offer study assistance for postgraduate courses. The Masters' secretary cannot offer information about scholarships/grants or other forms of assistance. The contents of the Masters', the price and the timetable can vary slightly from year to year.
We recommend you request specific information for each year's intake . Students who, for whatever reason, decide to leave the course before completion or have been negatively assessed, have the right to ask for a certificate of studies which details the work completed and provides corresponding notes. Likewise, on completion of studies the University of Barcelona provides a título acreditativo and, for those students who request it, a certificate of studies detailing all the subjects taken, along with corresponding notes. If for some reason a student leaves the course halfway through or is invited to leave temporarily, they can retake the Masters' where they left off after a suitable period .
In isolated cases some students are recommended to continue their practice for a fourth year. This is if it is considered that their work has been unsatisfactory. In such cases the fourth year consists of a repetition of the third one.
Grants and Study Assistance
The University of Barc elona does not currently offer study assistance for postgraduate courses. However, the various Spanish regional autonomies offer assistance for postgraduate study, as do the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various banking organisations, among others. Our secretary does not have information about grants/scholarships and other kinds of assistance.
Qualifications
Masters' Degree or University Extension
Masters' Degree or University Extension are two different qualifications for the same course.
To be able to enroll in the course under the heading “Masters' Degree” it is essential that you have a University degree or diploma .
Foreign applicants who do not provide sufficient proof that they posses an academic university qualification (degree or diploma ) will be automatically enrolled under the heading of “ University Extension Course” . The evidence which the University of Barcelona requires in order to establish that the applicant's qualification is valid for enrollment under the heading “Masters' Degree” is a letter from the originating university which certifies that the applicant has completed studies enabling them to attend postgraduate or third cycle university courses in their country. In each year's entry, a small number of students are admitted to the course to train as Art Therapists without having a University degree.
These students study under the heading “ University Extension “. The kind of enrollment cannot be changed from one year to the other, so a student who enrolls on the first year under “ University Extension “ cannot enroll under the “Masters' Degree” heading in the second or third years. Thus, their final certificate will be under the heading “ University Extension” .
Both qualifications are equally accepted by the Spanish Professional Association of Art Therapists (ATe) as sufficient to practice as an Art Therapist in Spain . At the end of the course the University of Barcelona provides an accredited qualification and a certificate of study which details all the subjects taken, with corresponding notes. Certificates of study are only given to students who have satisfactorly completed the Masters'.
Students who leave the course before completion, or who are suspended, recieve a document from the University of Barcelona showing the finished modules with corresponding notes, as well as the modules remaining to be completed. In such cases the University does not offer a certificate of study.
Director: Dr. José Mª Barragán
Deg. and Dr Fine Arts, Prf Art Education Univ. Barcelona
Head of Studies and Coordinator : Carles Ramos
Dir. Metafora (Art Therapy), Deg. Fine Arts Univ. Barcelona , MA Art Psychotherapy, Goldsmith's College, London Univ.
Clinical Practice Coordinator : Montserrat Montané
Dip. Fine Arts Esc. Massana, BCN. MA Art Therapy, Univ. Barcelona
Secretary and Student Coordinator: Naila
Deg. Psychology, Univ. Barcelona,
Head of Administration: Jette Bjerg
Dir. Metafora (Art), tutor and teacher International Workshop, Deg. Fine Arts and Art History, London Univ.
MA Theory and Communication, Royal Academy, Copenhagen
(assisted by Anna Fons and administrative staff at the faculty of Fine Arts, UB)
Teachers and Tutors:
Montserrat Omenat
Teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ. and Preparatory Art Therapy Workshops Metáfora, Deg. Fine Art, UB.
Dip. Primary Education, Barcelona Univ. . MA Art Therapy, Univ. Barcelona
Montserrat Montané ,
Teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ. and Preparatory Art Therapy Workshops Metáfora, Dip. Fine Arts Esc. Massana, BCN. MA Art Therapy, Univ. Barcelona
Ana Belén Nuñez
Teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ. and Preparatory Art Therapy Workshops Metáfora, Deg. Fine Art Univ. Complutense. MA Art Psychotherapy, Herdfordshire Univ.
Carles Ramos
Dir. Metafora (Art Therapy), Coord. and teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ. , Vocal AEA , Deg. Fine Art Barcelona Univ., MA Art Psychotherapy, Goldsmith's College, London Univ.
Sybille Cseri
Teacher Preparatory Art Therapy Workshops Metáfora,
MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ., Deg. Fine Art Univ. de New México, USA
MA research in Art Therapy Goldsmiths' College, London Univ. (in progress)
Joaquim Cátala
Teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ., Deg. Fine Art Middlesex Univ. MA Art Therapy, Goldsmith's College London Univ.
Peter Zelaskowski
Teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ. and Preparatory Art Therapy Workshops Metáfora, Deg. Politics & Philosophy, Sheffield Univ. MA Education , London Univ., MA Group Analitycal Psychotherapy, Goldsmiths' College, London Univ.
Montse Freixas
Teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ., Deg. Psychology Barcelona Univ. and Analytical Psychotherpy, Vidal i Barraquer foundation , BCN
Anna Romagosa
Teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ., Deg. Psychology Barcelona Univ. and Psychoanalyst SEP Francesc Sainz. Teacher MA Art Therapy Univ. Barcelona and Preparatory Art Therapy Workshops Metáfora Deg. Psychology Barcelona Univ. and Psicoanalyst SEP
Inma Sierra
Teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ., Deg. Psychology Barcelona Univ. and Psychoanalyst SEP
Dra. Gloria Callicó
Teacher MA Art Therapy Barcelona Univ., Deg.and Dra Psychology Barcelona Univ.. Psychoanalyst ( SEP ), Teacher Dynamic Psychology Barcelona Univ.. Postgraduate Teacher Barcelona Univ. " Evolución normal and Pathological in Children and Adolescents"
Art Therapists and other Invited Professionals:
Margaret Hills, Francesc Sainz, Elena Sánchez, Irantzu Olabarrieta, Joan Woddis, Peter Byrne, Tim Wright, Michelle Wood, James West, Francesca La Nave , Chris Wood , John Henzell, Philippa Brown, David Maclagan, Eva Marie Stern, Heidrun Panhofer, Hilda Wengrover, Marina Strauss, Norman Duncan, Amaya Eskutza, Silvina Gimpelevicz, Alfonsina Echenique, Magdalena Durán, Anna Vivó, Silvia Castanyé, Pepa Armenté, Mónica Recio, Sonia Espejo, Dafna Moryia, Emily Thomsen, Chris Wood ...
Collaborating Organisations
Xarxa de Centres Assistencials Institut Català de la Salut, ICS
Centres of the Department of Social Welfare, Generalitat de Catalunya
Schools of the Department of Education, Generalitat de Catalunya
Schools and Centres of the Diputació de Barcelona
Penitential and Rehabilitation centres of the Department of Justice, Generalitat de Catalunya
Àrea d'Afers Socials i Educació, Generalitat de Catalunya
British Council
The demand for Art Therapy in Spain is growing continually, however, the employment situation has still not been regularised and the nature of employment contracts is currently very vague and unstable. Art Therapy in Spain, as in most countries around the world, is a new discipline, in the process of regularisation.
For the time being, the current qualification on completion of the course (Masters' Degree or University Extension ) despite being a recognised and highly-regarded University course, has still not regularised the clinical practice of Art Therapy in the country .
The Spanish Association of Art Therapists "Asociación Profesional Española de Arteterapeutas, ATe", was created to regularise the professional situation of Art Therapists in Spain , putting it on a par with those countries where Art Therapy is state regulated. The ATe is the body working to achieve recognition of the profession in Spain and homogenisation with Art Therapists in other international associations.
We highly recommend that students participate in the ATe during their studies and especially after completion of the course since it is important as far as posible that Art Therpists sign up to a professional ethical code comparable to those in other helping professions
You can find more information about this at: http://www.arteterapia.org.es