Art Therapy Training

In the early days, the 60’s and 70’s and even the 80’s the art therapy training programs were still ‘finding themselves’, and there was much debate both in the United States and in Canada as to what was required to train an art therapist. The American Art Therapy Association established guidelines for training, and the Canadian training programs used these criteria. We took from the American experience and expertise what was relevant to us and were in the fortunate position to be able to leave alone what didn’t apply. That is still happening. You will find that all the training programs in North America observe and interpret these AATA guidelines, each with its own identity.

Added to the three programs that were the outcome of our pioneers works, new programs appeared. The BC School of Art Therapy in Victoria and the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute were established in 1982. The most recent training program to be established is the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute in Nelson, BC, in 1994.

With the exception of Concordia, all of these programs were set up outside of the education system because this was the only way to start. All the programs have gone through process of development and change. And it is likely that they all will continue to grow as times demand, each with its own emphasis and style.

It is interesting to note that BC has three training programs, Ontario has two, Quebec has one. Now that the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute has joined the Campus Alberta Graduate Program in Counselling, a distance program, Alberta has a program. There are not yet art therapy training programs in Saskatchewan, nor in Manitoba, nor the Maritimes.