As of July 1, 2024, at 12:00am EST, the ATCB will end the retiring of credentials. Any credential holder wishing to use an ATCB credential to practice art therapy must have a credential that is not retired.  This change complies with NCCA accreditation requirements and the ATCB’s mission to protect the public by promoting the competent and ethical practice of art therapy by credentialing art therapy professionals. 

Current “Annual Retired” and “Lifetime Retired” credential holders will be affected by this change. 

Any “Annual Retired” or ” Lifetime Retired” credential can be taken out of retirement no later than June 30, 2025, at 11:59pm EST. Credential holders seeking to end the retirement status of their credentials must alert ATCB Executive Director LeeAnn Mandrillo at leeann@atcb.org. The ATCB will allow credentials in the annual retired status to be converted to lifetime. This request must be made to our Executive Director, LeeAnn Mandrillo, leeann@atcb.org, by 11:59am EST on June 30, 2024. 

Once taken out of retirement, the credential must be renewed following the standard renewal process. If the credential carries board certification distinction (ATR-BC) and requires recertification, this, too, will need to be completed following the standard recertification process.

Any annually retired credential not taken out of retirement by 12:00am EST on July 1, 2025, will become inactive. 

Any credential (and credential number) “retired” after 7/1/2025 will remain retired. As of July 1, 2025, anyone wishing to practice art therapy with an ATCB credential that is permanently retired will need to apply for a new credential with a new credential number under current ATCB standards.