Art Therapy Courses
On-Campus and Online Certificate & Diploma Courses
The College for Educational and Clinical Art Therapy (CECAT) has a reputation for producing outstanding art therapists in Australia and internationally. While many aspiring art therapists might explore art therapy undergraduate courses or postgraduate art therapy courses offered by universities, these programs can be inaccessible for individuals due to time, distance, or other constraints. CECAT bridges this gap by providing flexible and comprehensive certificate and diploma programs that serve as an alternative pathway to gaining foundational and advanced skills in art therapy. Our distance education Art Therapy Courses provide a solid foundation in art therapy. There has never been a better time to study online.
While students can complete the entire course online, we highly recommend taking advantage of our on-campus Intensives. After completing the online modules in your own time, attending an Intensive in an Australian city of your choice is the recommended pathway for those pursuing a comprehensive education. For those who cannot participate in one of our on-campus Intensives, engaging and meaningful one-on-one Zoom meetings are available.
For students interested in the rigor of university-level education but requiring greater flexibility, CECAT’s courses offer a solid foundation and advanced insights into art therapy practices. Unlike traditional art therapy undergraduate courses or postgraduate art therapy courses, our programs are accessible to anyone, regardless of prior qualifications, and can be completed at your own pace.
Why study art therapy with CECAT?
Only four universities in Australia offer art therapy programs: Sydney NSW, Perth WA, Melbourne VIC and Brisbane QLD. In many countries, University art therapy programs are not available at all. For those abroad and those who can’t study with one of the Universities, CECAT offers Australian and International Courses for students seeking to enrich their therapy skills or work professionally as art therapists.
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What Is Art Therapy?
Art Therapy is an evidence-based intervention developed in the mid-1940s for the management of mental health disorders in both adults and children. It is widely used in Europe and the United States, but in Australia the practice of art therapy is still in its early stages.
Art therapy courses encourage self-discovery and emotional growth. Evolving from Freud and Jung’s theories of the unconscious, art therapy is based on the belief that visual symbols and images (as in dreams), are the most accessible and natural forms of communication for the human experience. Clients are encouraged to visualise and create a representation of thoughts and emotions that they may not otherwise be able to articulate.
Art therapists assist people to access their own image-making abilities. They do this by jointly exploring the meaning of their images in light of the relationships and personal experiences they encounter, which may be nurturing or distressing. The art therapist’s great advantage is being able to facilitate the client’s expression of their inner world that they may find difficult to verbalise.
The art therapist supports the processes of emotional integration and growth by providing a safe, reliable and therapeutic environment within which the client can create and use images to develop insight and achieve personal change.
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Acknowledgement of Country
The College for Educational and Clinical Art Therapy (CECAT) respectfully acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia’s First People and Traditional Custodians and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
As we share our own knowledge, teaching, learning and research practices within CECAT, we also pay respect to the knowledge embedded forever within the Aboriginal Custodianship of Country.
Register for our art therapy courses today!
Get in Touch Today!
We have provided online education to art therapy students from over 40 countries, including Australia and New Zealand, Singapore, China and Malaysia in Asia, Dubai in South West Asia, India and Pakistan in South East Asia, Great Britain, Germany and Italy in Europe, USA and Canada in North America, Brazil and Chile in South America, South Africa and Zimbabwe in Africa, and many more!
Join others from different walks of life and fields of expertise in discovering the power of art therapy. Start anytime, from anywhere in the world and at your own pace.
If you have any questions, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.