MA Art Psychotherapy Practice

Course summary

• Engage in art-making, alongside studying psychotherapeutic approaches
• Embark on a two day per week work placement as part of the course
• Gain the transferable skills you need to practice effectively and ethically
• Help people in psychological distress and change their lives for the better

This is a hands-on, experiential course which develops your theoretical knowledge and practical skills. You will learn how to work as a professional art therapist, in what are often complex and unpredictable settings in the public mental health or independent sectors. You'll graduate with skills and confidence to become a professional art therapist, eligible to apply for HCPC status.

How you learn

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

On this course you’ll learn directly from HCPC registered art therapists, and will engage with real world practice throughout. Experiential art-making is a core feature of the course; you’ll be encouraged to create a wide variety of art to reflect and learn about working as an art therapist in a classroom or studio context. Our staff integrate art-making into theory teaching and you’ll also have the opportunity to exhibit your work both in physical exhibitions and online.

Alongside art-making, you’ll learn about client-centred approaches in psychotherapy, enabling you to learn how to use models to adapt to different service settings. You’ll also experience a placement which runs throughout and as part of the course, and will have access to our unique student support triangle to help with your personal, academic and career development.

You learn through

• art-making in full equipped studio spaces
• a mix of individual and group sessions
• experiential creative groups
• workshops
• placements
• field trips, such as visits to exhibitions
• practice-based learning

Future careers

This course prepares you for a career in

• Hospital and community NHS services for adults, children and families with physical, mental health issues and learning disabilities
• Educational Art Therapist in schools
• Bereavement Support
• Educators
• Researchers
• Social enterprises and charities
• Educational settings for children and young people, and families
• A range of community and social service settings
• Third sector settings
• Preventative work

To apply for the course, you must normally have a degree (2:2 or above) in a relevant area, such as Fine Art, Arts Therapies, Humanities, Psychology or Social Sciences.