New curriculum guidance published to support future art therapists
We are proud to launch our new curriculum guidance for art therapy to support the next generation of art therapists/art psychotherapists.
The new co-produced guidance draws on stakeholder views from educators, practice leads and trainee art therapists to help make sure art therapists have the skills, experience and knowledge needed to meet the diverse and fast-changing needs in the UK’s population.
It includes our guidelines for pre-registration training programmes, whose graduates are eligible to register with the HCPC and legally work as art therapists in the UK.
We look forward to working with UK higher education institutions offering approved pre-registration courses in the adoption of the guidance.
Why we’ve produced this guidance
While the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) sets the standards for art therapy education and approves courses, our role as a professional body is to provide clear guidance to the HCPC on what we expect from an art therapy pre-registration course.
Our guidance is designed to promote high-quality learning and reflective practice to support pre-registration courses and practice placements. It clarifies the minimum requirements expected of a pre-registration course to ensure a positive student experience and help ensure trainees are gaining the experience and skills they need.
Art therapy training differs across the UK, reflecting the local needs of the communities they serve. The guidance will ensure that training practice takes account of:
- current research
- the needs of contemporary workplaces
- lived experiences
- the wider professional team
We also hope the guidance will promote collaboration across higher education institutions and with different professions in the sectors we work with.
What can trainees offer employers?
While enrolled on a course, art psychotherapy trainees work on placement. They can offer creative, flexible and inclusive support across a wide range of different services, including:
- low intensity and psychologically minded support
- targeted services for more complex needs
- specialist and highly specialised services.
Meet some recent trainees in our new video: hear why they chose to train, what they believe arts therapies can offer, and their advice for those thinking about joining the profession.
Acknowledgements
A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed and supported the project, to those who shared their experiences and for colleagues who guided the content.
This work was funded by the NHS England Commission.