2026 Registration Standards for ATR-P
All coursework must have earned credit from a college or university approved by a national or regional accrediting agency.
These registration standards are the requirements for a ATR-P applicant.
Application and Supervision Requirements
Application Process
Applicants can upload official (with official watermark) transcripts into the Provisional Registered Art Therapist (ATR-P) application.
Applications with unofficial transcripts will not undergo an official review until an official transcript is provided.
All applications expire within one year of submission. However, additional time is granted for any candidate who needs extra time to meet education requirements and will be given a further 90 days.
Supervision
Applicants of the Provisional Registered Art Therapist (ATR-P) must acquire a supervisor who is an ATCB credential holder in good standing, either a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) or Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC). Applicants must identify their supervisor as part of the application process.
The ATCB will not accept supervision in increments of less than 10 hours.
Group supervision will be accepted at 1:1, with no more than six (6) supervisees per group.
Allowance for international supervision or co-supervision when necessary to ensure comprehensive competency coverage, provided all supervisors meet ATCB supervision standards.
Education Requirements
ATCB will align the education standards for the ATR-P credential with the ACATE Curriculum Competency Requirements for art therapy education programs.
All qualifying education for the credential must be completed within 10 years of the application date.
Applicants must demonstrate completion of graduate-level education in art therapy through one of the following pathways:
- CAAHEP/ACATE or ATCB Accepted Listed Program:
Graduation from a program approved by CAAHEP/ACATE or listed on the ATCB’s Accepted Programs List, subject to annual staff review for continued compliance. - Internationally Recognized Program:
Completion of a graduate art therapy program recognized by national or regional quality assurance bodies (e.g., CHEA/DOE, Ofqual, TEQSA, NZQA, or equivalent international agencies). - Related Mental Health Graduate Degree with Bridging Plan:
Completion of a master’s-level graduate degree in a mental health discipline, with ATCB-reviewed and approved Bridging Plans to address identified educational gaps and ensure competency equivalence and readiness for provisional registration.
The following education requirements are the ACATE Curriculum Competency Requirements.
Foundational Learning Content Areas
The following Foundational Learning content areas provide the basis for relevant learning outcomes in the core curriculum and must be met concurrently with the core curriculum or through prior coursework or demonstrated competency.
- Applicants must have successfully completed coursework or equivalent non-academic studio art experience in a variety of two- and three-dimensional art media (which may include digital art) and must meet educational program requirements for credentialing and entry level practice as an art therapist.
- Foundational coursework in psychology or related fields to prepare students for master’s level studies.
Core Curriculum Content Areas
The following Core Curriculum content areas describe required curriculum content but do not refer to course titles or required courses. The Core Curriculum content areas are more specifically delineated into competencies that allow programs to have goal-defining minimum expectations to prepare entry-level art therapists. The following curriculum content areas describe cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) competencies that art therapy students must develop through their coursework. Programs may combine content into a single course or distribute content over multiple courses as they develop curriculum to address program mission, goals, and outcomes. Attention to state licensing requirements also may assist in determining course structure and content.
Content Area A: History, Theory & Influential Frameworks
- History of the Profession
- Theoretical Approaches
- Lifespan Development within Social Systems
- Creativity, Symbolism & Metaphor
- Neuroscience
Content Area B: Art Therapy Practice
- Media, Tools & Processes
- Practice Environments & Contexts
- Technologically Mediated Practices
- Art Therapy Models and Systems
- Assessment, Appraisal & Evaluation
- Mental Health, Psychopathology & Diagnosis
- Art & Counseling Techniques for Working Relationships
- Supervision and Consultation
- Career and Lifestyle Development
- Cultural, Social, and Intersectional Diversity
Content Area C: Professional Development
- Ethics
- Professional Identity
Content Area D: Research
- Research Methods
- Art-based Research Methods/Art Therapy Research
- Thesis or Culminating Project
- Ethical, Legal, Social, and Cultural Considerations
Applied Educational Experiences
- The curriculum must include applied education experiences that provide students with opportunities to practice the knowledge, skills, and behavior competencies that art therapy students must develop through their course work, and which lead to overall student learning outcomes.
Applied education experience should allow students opportunities to practice with varied client populations and practice settings. - Applied educational experiences must include an art therapy practicum involving observation and applied practice of art therapy in regular consultation with a site supervisor and faculty supervisor, and an internship working with clients under direct supervision of a qualified site supervisor and faculty supervisor in an appropriate setting.
- Applied educational experiences must provide students with both individual and group supervision.
- The structure and duration of applied educational experiences must meet educational program requirements for credentialing and entry level practice as an art therapist.
Competencies
Content Area A: History, Theory & Influential Frameworks
The curriculum must allow students to articulate and demonstrate their understanding of the development of art therapy as a distinct therapeutic profession. A demonstration of knowledge should include understanding historical and social-cultural antecedents, ongoing conceptual development of the field, an overview of approaches and theories from related fields, and the emergence of contemporary influences.
The following knowledge, skills, and behaviors must be developed for competency in each content area.
Content Area A.1: History of the Profession
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements specified in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Identifies major and marginalized contributors and their contributions that shaped the field of art therapy. b) Demonstrates knowledge of the historical evolution of art therapy professional associations and institutions. | a) Presents knowledge of the historical foundations of the profession. b) Describes how the intersection of psychology and art and historical social-cultural influences impacted the evolution of art therapy. | a) Demonstrates openness and commitment to learning and advancing diverse historical narratives that include marginalized voices. |
Content Area A.2: Theoretical Approaches
The curriculum must provide students with the opportunity to understand major psychological and counseling theories and applications to practice.
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements specified in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Explains the relationship between art therapy approaches and theories from psychology, counseling, and related fields.b) Distinguishes between the various approaches to art therapy, including but not limited to art psychotherapy, art-as-therapy, studio-based approaches, and community-based approaches. | a) Describes how theory informs the process of art therapy from assessment, treatment planning to closure. This may include rapport building, selection of media, and interventions. | |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions. | c) Articulates comprehension of the basic tenets of psychological and counseling theories, including but not limited to psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, systemic, neuroscience, and trauma-focused approaches. | b) Applies theory to practice through case conceptualization or critique of clinical and community scenarios and discusses the appropriateness and/or limitations of theoretical approaches. | a) Demonstrates awareness of social-cultural influences on psychological, counseling, and art therapy theories and how that may impact clients with marginalized identities.b) Demonstrates cultural humility when evaluating the appropriateness and/or limitations of theoretical approaches. |
Content Area A.3: Lifespan Development within Social Systems
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Assesses developmental stages in artwork, including typical, atypical, and exceptional characteristics for all age groups within a cultural context.b) Demonstrates ability to integrate contextual/ecological factors affecting human development, such as exploration and acceptance of intersectional identities into art therapy practice. | ||
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Distinguishes theories of relational systems including but not limited to individual and family development across the lifespan.b) Describes theoretical contributions to the understanding of biopsychosocial factors and elements that may influence development across the lifespan. | a) Demonstrates commitment to advancing wellness and actualizing potential, coping capacity, creativity, and optimal development throughout life.b) Demonstrates cultural humility when evaluating clients’ stage of lifespan development. | |
Content Area A.4: Creativity, Symbolism & Metaphor
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Identifies and comprehends theories and models for understanding creativity, symbolism, metaphor, and artistic language.b) Describes how cultural context may influence creativity, symbolism, metaphor, and artistic language. | a) Applies an understanding of artistic language, symbolism, and metaphoric media properties through a lens of cultural humility.b) Demonstrates an ability to collaborate with clients and communities to explore and uncover the role of creativity and meaning making. | a) Engages in self-reflection to explore creativity, symbolism, metaphor, and meaning within personal artwork and how they inform clinical practice and self-care.b) Displays cultural humility when considering elements that may impact a client’s participation, choice of materials, and creation of art. |
Content Area A.5: Neuroscience
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Describes neuroscience-informed art therapy approaches used in assessment, treatment planning, and practice. | a) Values ongoing expansion of their knowledge of neuroscience-informed art therapy research and practices. | |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Demonstrates basic knowledge of the development, structures, and functions of the brain and nervous system. | ||
Content Area B: Art Therapy Practice
Art therapy practices provide therapeutic opportunities and relational media experiences for optimal health and wellness, management of mental and medical health symptoms, and conflict resolution that may or may not be related to traumatic experiences, systemic violence, or marginalization of individuals but also inclusive of group, family, and community experiences.
The following knowledge, skills, and behaviors must be developed for competency in each content area.
Content Area B.1: Media, Tools & Processes
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Identifies an expressive range of materials (haptic to technological) and their inherent qualities.b) Identifies toxic materials and safety issues with select populations, including but not limited to allergic reactions and sensitivities. c) Identifies requirements for set-up and maintenance of therapeutic setting. d) Identifies ethical storage methods and preservation or distribution strategies for client artwork. | a) Demonstrates ability to evaluate the social-cultural, contextual, and developmental variations of responses to media and materials and adapts material offerings as needed.b) Demonstrates understanding of therapeutic utility and psychological properties of haptic to technological media in the selection of processes and materials for delivery of art therapy services. | a) Commits to incorporating and critically evaluating creative, ethical, and social-cultural considerations in materials selection and the therapeutic implications of media use. |
Content Area B.2: Practice Environments & Contexts
The curriculum must provide students with frameworks and descriptions of art therapy practice environments and contexts related to historical antecedents as well as ongoing development and expansions of the field. Additionally, the curriculum must provide students with opportunities to understand how organizational missions and goals, physical settings, and/or technologically mediated environments influence art therapy practices and client care.
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Identifies and describes contextual and organizational influences on art therapy service delivery, including but not limited to: institutional (psychiatric and medical); educational settings; outpatient mental health settings; medical settings/rehabilitation; community-based non-profits; telehealth and digital spaces; private and group practices; studio; nature-based; home-based treatment; museums/galleries. | a) Demonstrates ability to manage the safety and security of art therapy spaces. | |
Content Area B.3: Technologically Mediated Practices
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Evaluates access and limitations to material and media options for creative engagement in technologically mediated practices. | ||
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Identifies methods of evaluation to determine client appropriateness for technologically mediated environments and the impact on therapeutic alliance relationships. | b) Demonstrates ability to facilitate ethical and legal requirements within technologically mediated environments. | a) Examines risks and benefits of technologically mediated services. |
Content Area B.4: Art Therapy Models and Systems
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Describes how art therapy services and practices are affected by client and community group needs and goals. | a) Utilizes knowledge of how art therapy services and practices are affected by systems and models and activates change and/or adapts to institutional missions.b) Implements art therapy practices that are responsive to the systems they are embedded within and the client and/or community goals being served. | a) Commits to cultivating personal awareness of individual, community, and institutional contexts that influence art therapy services and relationships. |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | b) Describes individualized therapeutic approaches and treatment planning strategies that include consideration of internalized systems.c) Describes group process theories and practices, authentic leadership and co-leadership models. d) Describes family systems theories and practices. e) Describes systems and collectivistic theories and approaches (Liberation & Queer theories, Black Feminism; Disability studies and other justice frameworks; Art for systemic change). | ||
Content Area B.5: Assessment, Appraisal & Evaluation
The curriculum must also provide students with an understanding of the critical review processes utilized to determine appropriate selection and interpretation of assessments related to client developmental factors and cultural/intersectional identities.
The curriculum must provide students with training that enables student identification of individual or familial challenges, strengths, and resilience as well as treatment concerns that may inform treatment planning or establish treatment effect and will include exposure to ethical and legal practices and requirements for documenting and reporting assessment results.
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Describes psychometric approaches to appraisal, data and information gathering methods including validity and reliability characteristics, and limitations of art-based and other appraisal measures.b) Understands history, development, and interrelationships between art-based and psychological assessments. c) Describes the role of formal, informal, and ongoing assessment processes facilitated through observation of relational, non-verbal interactions, selection and responses to media and artwork, verbal or written responses to artwork, in understanding individual and community concerns and functioning. | a) Demonstrates ability to select art-based and/or other assessment tools and appraisal methods appropriate for clients’ developmental level, abilities, language, cultural and systemic contexts, as well as treatment referral concerns. | a) Acknowledges cultural influences on art-making and imagery/form generation and meaning and considers these influences within assessment evaluation. |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | d) Describes risk assessment tools and processes used in administration, safety planning, and reporting. | b) Demonstrates familiarity with obtaining relevant contextual information necessary for understanding individual and community experiences, resources, barriers, and goals, including but not limited to interviews, intakes, case histories, and community engagement.c) Demonstrates ability to accurately and sensitively present assessment and evaluation results with individuals, families, and treatment teams via written documentation and oral communications as appropriate. d) Demonstrates ability to administer assessment tools and processes used in administration, safety planning, and reporting. e) Demonstrates ability to administer, score, interpret, summarize and report assessment outcomes. | b) Acknowledges developmentally and culturally appropriate assessment tools and applications when considering assessment selection and interpretation. |
Content Area B.6: Mental Health, Psychopathology & Diagnosis
The curriculum must also include information on ongoing conceptual developments in neuroscience and other frameworks for understanding experiences of mental health, distress, and illness.
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Identifies neurological factors that influence functioning, diagnoses, and implications for art therapy treatment and engagement options. b) Describes how graphic qualities and symbolic expression considered within developmental, cultural, and identity contexts may provide information about diagnostic symptoms and experiences. | ||
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | c) Describes understanding of current diagnostic manuals, diagnostic categories, and criteria related to client functioning and experience of symptoms. d) Describes psychopharmacological considerations and their potential influences on thoughts, behaviors, artistic expression, and motivation for engagement. e) Describes situations where referral for psychopharmacological care may be indicated. | a) Applies understanding of diagnoses and possible differential and co-occurring diagnoses to inform treatment planning. b) Integrates varied perspectives of mental health and illness and the intercultural experiences of stigma or support present in communities. | a) Acknowledges diverse perspectives on conceptualization and formalized categorization of mental health disorders as well as the individual, familial, and societal factors which influence experience and characterization of symptoms, strengths, and functioning standards. |
Content Area B.7: Art & Counseling Techniques for Working Relationships
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Describes informed consent, limitations of confidentiality, and management of art created within sessions. b) Identifies and describes phases of art therapy treatment from relationship formation, goal setting, aligned work on treatment goals and tasks, and closing of the therapeutic relationship and services. | a) Demonstrates attuned offering of materials, prompts, and management of space related to client needs, abilities, identities, and preferences. b) Demonstrates appropriate listening, observation, verbal, and artistic reflection skills. c) Demonstrates ability to design, implement, and evaluate outcomes of a therapeutic art treatment program that aligns with participant(s) abilities, identities, goals, and resources. | a) Maintains awareness of intersubjectivity and uses supervision and art-based reflection to address transference and countertransference occurrences and to explore power dynamics that may occur within therapeutic relationships. |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | c) Identifies types of informational and community resources and professional services that may be utilized to facilitate appropriate referrals to complementary care and support. | d) Demonstrates skills that promote distress-reduction, risk reduction, and emotional closure. e) Demonstrates ability to communicate treatment progress, barriers, and outcomes using unbiased/non-oppressive language within documentation and interdisciplinary team interactions. | |
Content Area B.8: Supervision and Consultation
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Describes reflective supervisory practices including but not limited to responsive artmaking. | a) Commits to seeking and incorporating supervisory feedback into their approaches to art therapy service provision. | |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | b) Describes the purpose and goals of supervision, including models, practices, and responsibilities, including but not limited to reporting. | a) Demonstrates ability to identify appropriate supervision questions and proactively communicate concerns within supervision/consultation sessions/formats. b) Demonstrates ability to engage in collaborative consultation with interdisciplinary professional teams through the exchange of ideas regarding treatment planning and implementation in compliance with confidentiality policies. c) Demonstrates ability to utilize supervision to explore and address personal biases and assumptions to advance their cultural humility and relational attunement practices. | b) Acknowledges the ethical responsibility to engage in supervision for purposes of ongoing professional development and community care. |
Content Area B.9: Career and Lifestyle Development
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Describes career theories that inform conceptualization of global, cultural, systemic, family, and individual influences related to career and lifestyle development, decision-making, and satisfaction. b) Describes career/lifestyle assessment options and the validity and reliability of assessments in relationship to career development questions and considerations of clients’ age, culture, language, and identity contexts. c) Describes resources that address academic and career and lifestyle options and pathways including career preparation requirements, global career outlooks, community and job search support networks, advocacy organizations, and employment policies and regulations. | a) Demonstrates the ability to provide attuned interventions that promote career/lifestyle development and decision-making skills that are appropriate for abilities, life stage, and circumstances. b) Demonstrates the ability to utilize art-based methods to address career/lifestyle exploration, decision-making, and problem-solving processes. | a) Engages in self-evaluation of competency regarding career development assessment and guidance and refers to appropriate professionals or agencies as needed. b) Acknowledges the role of advocacy in advancing equity in career/lifestyle opportunities and experiences. |
Content Area B.10: Cultural, Social and Intersectional Diversity
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Describe cultural and social diversity and intersectional identity theories. | a) Apply social, cultural diversity and intersectional identity theories to an understanding of identity development, empowerment, collaboration, advocacy, and social justice. | a) Commits to humility through the practice of self-examination, reflection, and awareness including their assumptions and biases. |
Content Area C: Professional Development
The curriculum must provide students with the opportunity to develop an ethical professional identity as an art therapist through integration and understanding of social responsibility, cultural humility, consideration of intersectional identities, and duty for self-care and wellness. The curriculum must also provide students with opportunities to develop professional identities committed to creative practices, understanding roles and responsibilities, values advocacy, and accountability seated in a philosophical perspective.
The following knowledge, skills, and behaviors must be developed for competency in the content area.
Content Area C.1: Ethics
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Defines the professional role and function of an art therapist.b) Recognizes the aspirational national ethical principles for practice and code of ethics. Sources for national ethical principles and guidelines for code of ethics may include American Art Therapy Association, Art Therapy Credentials Board, and American Counseling Association. c) Demonstrates understanding of the intersections between credentialing and licensing bodies, i.e., knowledge of requirements for the state in which they intend to practice. | ||
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | d) Describes the values of social responsibility, inclusivity, diversity, equity, cultural humility, and intersectional identities within the framework of state, national, and international ethical guidelines as applicable. | a) Demonstrates understanding of art therapist roles including but not limited to documentation and reporting.b) Applies ethical principles in decision-making. c) Evaluates social responsibility, inclusivity, diversity, equity, cultural humility, and intersectional identities within the framework of state, national, and international ethical guidelines as applicable. d) Demonstrates understanding of the relationship between self-care, community care, and sustaining the quality of services provided. | a) Commits to ethical behaviors that encompass aspirational principles and ethical codes.b) Prioritizes self-reflection to explore personal beliefs and assess how those beliefs impact individuals and communities. c) Demonstrates responsibility, integrity, and openness to feedback. d) Commits to appropriate practices for self-care, community care, and wellness. |
Content Area C.2: Professional Identity
The curriculum must provide opportunities to develop professional identities that are committed to creative practices, understanding of roles and responsibilities, values advocacy seated in a theoretical perspective.
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Articulates the benefits and importance of maintaining a creative practice. b) Identifies advocacy responsibilities for the profession and within communities. | a) Evaluates the various roles and responsibilities of an art therapist. b) Demonstrates commitment to personal creative practice. c) Implements advocacy strategies within communities. d) Engages in exploration and development of guiding theoretical frameworks. e) Demonstrates effective communication skills, including the ability to give and receive feedback. | a) Commitment to practicing cultural humility, respect for others, and an openness to learning. b) Appreciates that art therapist roles may encompass advocacy responsibilities and behaviors. c) Acknowledges the contributions of different art therapy theoretical and practical approaches. |
Content Area D: Research
The curriculum must provide students with the opportunity to establish or advance their understanding of basic research concepts, research languages, ethics, and diverse approaches to a research study. It must also offer students the opportunity to critically review art therapy-related literature and integrate it with the perspectives on current cultural, social, and political change paradigms. Additional areas of coverage include the use of research to assess the effectiveness of mental health and art therapy services by becoming an informed consumer of art therapy research.
Content Area D.1: Research Methods
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Defines and differentiates among research methodologies (quantitative, qualitative, art-based, and mixed methods). b) Describes steps taken to create and conduct a research study. c) Describes applications of research findings to art therapy practice. | a) Performs steps required to design and conduct a research study. b) Demonstrates the ability to read and understand art therapy research studies and explains applications to art therapy practice. | a) Engages in critical analysis of art therapy research. |
Content Area D.2: Art-based Research Methods/Art Therapy Research
The curriculum must introduce students to art-based research methods and their applications in art therapy research.
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Describes the definition and purpose of art-based research methods. | a) Demonstrates the ability to create a research study using an art-based method and identify its application to art therapy research. | a) Consistently evaluates a researcher’s own positionality with a critical lens and addresses potential bias when using art-based methods. b) Demonstrates in-depth critical analysis and synthesis of viewpoints of art-based methods. |
Content Area D.3: Thesis or Culminating Project
The curriculum must provide opportunities for students to design a formal research-based art therapy thesis or culminating project.
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Art Therapy Faculty who meet credentialing requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Identifies, comprehends, and evaluates literature in the field that is related to the topic of their research study or culminating project. | ||
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | b) Organizes required components of a research-based thesis or culminating project. | a) Integrates knowledge of research to create a competent and in-depth thesis study or culminating project based on an aspect of art therapy. b) Completes a research-based thesis or culminating project and presents it in a public forum. | a) Welcomes opportunities to share thesis or culminating project in public forums, including but not limited to thesis presentations, written articles for publication, submission of grant applications, and conference presentations. b) Considers community/participant contributions and needs when planning research/projects. c) Collaborates with others in the preparation for a thesis or culminating project. d) Advocates for the advancement of art therapy research. |
Content Area D.4: Ethical, legal, social, and cultural considerations
The curriculum must provide students with opportunities to understand a researcher’s ethical & legal responsibilities in addition to recognizing social and cultural considerations applicable to art therapy research.
| Competencies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (K) | Skills (S) | Behaviors (B) | |
| These competencies must be taught by Related Professions Faculty or Art Therapy Faculty that meet requirements listed in III.B. of these Standards. | a) Recognizes a researcher’s ethical and legal responsibilities for human subject research studies. b) Recognizes the importance of having perspectives of cultural competency and cultural humility when developing research ideas, conducting research, and exploring the applicability of research findings. | a) Applies legal, ethical, social, and cultural considerations to design and conduct art therapy research. | a) Commits to evaluating ethical, legal, and cultural considerations used to design, conduct, interpret, and report research. |