Training in Art Therapy, requirements, levels…
The clinical practise of art therapy involves working with people going through, sometimes quite vulnerable moments in their lives. This is why is -extremely- important that art therapists have enough knowledge and expertise to be able to work with them safely. In this area of our site you will find information on what expertise is essential to have to be able to practise as an art therapist.
- What does an Art Therapist Need to Know in order to practice?
- Who regulates the practice and teaching of the profession?
- Do you need to know about art to be an Art therapist?
- What are the theoretical foundations of art therapy?
- Courses of art therapy at Metafora
- Master in art therapy, Universitat de Barcelona
To practice as an Art Therapist you must have a set of skills, knowledge and basic tools. Training courses in Art Therapy have to guarantee that students aquire these fundamental skills and are able to put them into practice without harming either their patients or themselves.
In outline, an Art Therapist must posses:
- In-depth knowledge of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (initial interviews, reports, methodologies, intervention techniques, etc.)
- I n-depth knowledge of Psychopathology, Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Group Dynamics.
Who regulates the practice and teaching of the profession?
In countries where Art Therapy is a recognised profession, the practice and teaching of Art Therapy are regulated by the ministries of Health and Education.
In Spain we have yet to achieve this goal, and so regulation of practice and training is carried out by the Spanish Profesional Assocation of Art Therapists (ATe).
The ATe follows the recommendations of those countries where Art Therapy is regulated by law.
Do you need to know about art to be an Art therapist?
To be an art therapist is very important to have aquired a wide knowledge in the fine arts. Art therapìsts need to know how to approach images and art objects with an endpth comprehension. They need to know how to decode art making processess too, and how to encourage their clients creative process without interfering or being intrusive.
What are the theoretical foundations of art therapy?
The MA in art therapy of Universitat de Barcelona.-Metafora shares the same theoretical foundations than those other training from countries where art therapy is a recognised profession.
The theoretical foundations we use in our art therapy courses are integrative and have their sources in the theory of Analytic Art Psychotherapy, Visual Theory of Contemporary Art, Object Relations and Independent School of Psychoanalysis, Intersubjective School of Psychoanalysis, Group Analysis and Existentialist Group Psychotherapy.