Creative Arts Therapy

Training

Creative therapists need to complete a postgraduate qualification or master’s degree in their chosen subject. Many courses are accredited by the professional bodies below, which also provide further details about course entry requirements and professional registration.

If you are already a qualified counsellor or psychotherapist, you can complete a postgraduate course to obtain the required Master's level qualification.

Regulation

In the UK, Art Psychotherapist, Art Therapist, Dramatherapist, and Music Therapist are all legally protected titles. To use these titles, therapists must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which works closely with professional bodies within the industry.

Professional bodies

In addition to the counselling and psychotherapy professional bodies that art therapists may want to register with, there are also specialist creative therapy associations, including:

• Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy (ADMP)
• Association of Anthroposophic Therapeutic Arts (AATA)
• British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)
• British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth)
• British Association for Music Therapy (BAMT)
• British Psychodrama Association (BPA)