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Art Therapy

What is Art Therapy?

Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as the primary mode of expression, alongside communicating with the Art Therapist. Art Therapy is also known as Art Psychotherapy and the profession is one of the Allied Health Professions in the UK.

To practise Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy in the UK, a person must be Registered with the Health & Care Professions Council under either of the legally protected titles of ‘Art Therapist’ or ‘Art Psychotherapist’.

Art Therapy

Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy and the two legally protected titles ‘Art Therapist’ and ‘Art Psychotherapist’ are interchangeable. See BAAT: Art Therapy and HCPC: Professions and protected titles

The overall aim of Art Therapists is to enable a person to effect change and growth on a personal level through the use of art materials in a confidential, safe and facilitating environment. People who are referred, or who refer themselves, to an art therapist need not have previous experience or skill in art; the art therapist is not primarily concerned with making an aesthetic or diagnostic assessment of the person’s art.

The quality of the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the client is of central importance, along with the relationship with the art therapy process. Art therapy differs from most other psychological therapies in that it is a three way process between the client, the art therapist and the image / artefact / art process. Thus it offers the opportunity for multi-sensory and symbolic expression and communication and can be particularly helpful to people who find it hard to express their thoughts and feelings verbally.

Art therapists must have a sound knowledge of art psychotherapy practice, evidence-based theories, research and good governance, as well as considerable understanding of therapeutic art processes. Art therapists’ practice must be evidence-based. A sample of evidence for art therapy is summarised by BAAT at: https://baat.org/art-therapy/evidence/

Art therapists work with both individuals and groups in a variety of residential and community based settings, for example: adult mental health, CAMHS, learning disabilities, child and family centres, palliative care and the prison service. The diversity of these areas of work is reflected in the number of special interest groups that have developed in affiliation with the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT), which is the UK professional body for art therapy. More detailed information about these specialist areas can be obtained on request from BAAT.

An art therapist’s work is complex and sometimes challenging and calls for skill and sensitivity; it follows that those who wish to pursue a career in art therapy should be experienced, flexible and caring people. The training, which combines theoretical and experiential work, is a Master’s Degree to be completed normally over three years part time or two years full time. Normally applicants must have some proper experience of working in an area of health, education or social care, as well as experience in related art-making. In the UK, all art therapy training courses must be HCPC approved and should be guided by BAAT’s Curriculum guidance.

Art therapy includes a variety of approaches and it is important to ensure that those who practise it are maintaining the standards that are required by the HCPC, and also the guidance which BAAT publishes. To practise Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy in the UK, a person must be registered with the Health & Care Professions Council. When seeking or employing an Art Therapist / Art Psychotherapist, please be sure to check the HCPC Register.

In the UK, the profession of Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy is statutorily regulated by the HCPC. In Northern Ireland, it is recognised both as one of the Allied Health Professions (Department of Health NI) and one of the Psychological Professions (Department of Health NI). The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) introduced a strategy for developing psychological therapy services in 2009. In the Strategy, a Stepped Care Framework was adopted to guide decision making in relation to the provision of psychological therapies. Consistent with this, and as advocated by NIGAT and BAAT NI, art therapy practice is broad and applicable across all levels of the Stepped Care Framework which operates in all therapy settings in Northern Ireland:

  • Step 1 – Universal / Prevention: art therapy as preventative, e.g. community-based provision.
  • Step 2 – Early Intervention: art therapy as low-intensity psychological therapy, and common mental health support; responding to common mental health problems such as anxiety, stress and depression. This is often in community settings such as therapy agencies providing counselling, art therapy etc.
  • Step 3 – Specialist Intervention: art therapy as more intensive, specific care.
  • Step 4 – Crisis Intervention in the community: art therapy as part of specialized multi-disciplinary teams managing complex, severe, or high-risk mental health conditions.
  • Step 5 – Crisis and Intensive Interventions within in-patient setting: art therapy as part of intensive inpatient care, emergency psychiatric treatment, or secure residential therapeutic environments, and managing highly complex issues.

NB. Across all these Steps, art therapy / art psychotherapy practice must be underpinned by good governance, ethics, and professional standards, which include: getting explicit informed consent, risk assessment and management, good record-keeping, engaging in outcome and therapeutic alliance evaluation and quality assurance, and ensuring safe and effective evidence-based practice.

ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS (AHPs). Art Therapists / Art Psychotherapists in the UK are Allied Health Professionals (AHPs). They are recognised as AHPs in Northern Ireland – see Department of Health NI: AHPs, Public Health Agency: Art Therapists, PHA / HSC Allied Health Professionals, and NIDirect: AHPs. As AHPs, Art Therapists / Art Psychotherapists in NI are represented on:
1) the Allied Health Professions Federation Northern Ireland by Eileen McCourt (regular member) and Caryl Sibbett (alternate) (voluntary roles), and
2) the Central Advisory Committee of the Allied Health Professions to the Department of Health NI by Dr Caryl Sibbett (voluntary role).
The Allied Health Professions (AHPs) come under the remit of the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer. See also Department of Health’s Allied Health Professions – Policy and Guidance Documents and the AHP Public Health Hub.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFESSIONS. Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy is recognised as one of the Psychological Professions in Northern Ireland. As such, Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy in NI is represented on:
the Psychological Professions Forum for NI by Dr Caryl Sibbett and Eileen McCourt (voluntary roles).

The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) is a professional organisation for art therapists in the United Kingdom and has its own Code of Ethics of Professional Practice. To find an Art Therapist / BAAT member in the UK, see https://baat.org/find-an-art-therapist/. BAAT is active on social media: BAAT Facebook BAAT Instagram BAAT YouTube BAAT Linkedin

  • BAAT Northern Ireland (BAAT NI) is the NI country committee of BAAT and is more outward facing, promoting the profession, responding to Government Departments’ consultations, lobbying, and also supporting NI members. It is steered by an elected committee who promote local art therapy and good governance. Since the 1980s/1990s, a number of art therapists in Northern Ireland, including Eileen McCourt and Caryl Sibbett, have responded to numerous Departmental consultations and lobbied Government. When Caryl Sibbett relayed to the local regional group co-ordinators that BAAT had a Scotland country committee doing similar lobbying work, Dr Colin Sims and Eileen McCourt asked BAAT if a NI country committee could form and BAAT agreed to this in 2021. Therefore BAAT NI was formally established and held its inaugural Annual Meeting in 2021 and established its first committee. BAAT NI also assists Region 20 in providing CPD. For more information about BAAT NI, see BAAT NI.
    BAAT NI is active on BAAT NI Facebook BAAT NI Instagram and BAAT NI X / Twitter
    BAAT NI can be emailed at baatni@baatcrs.org
  • BAAT’s Regional Group 20 is a N Ireland Regional Group and, like all BAAT Regional Groups, it is member facing and serves local BAAT members by providing CPD and other supports. The Region 20 group was formed in 2008. Regional Group 20 has a Forum for members, accessible via the BAAT Memberzone: https://baat.org/forums/groups/northern-ireland/forum/ Regional Group 20 is supported by BAAT NI.
    BAAT Region 20 can be emailed at region20@baatcrs.org

**Rita Simon was the founder of NIGAT and a founding member of BAAT, therefore in 2025, NIGAT and BAAT Northern Ireland agreed to develop their long-standing mutual support into a formal collaborative partnership. This was approved unanimously by both the NIGAT and BAAT NI committees and unanimously at the NIGAT 2025 AGM. NIGAT has always had, and maintains, a close and collaborative relationship with Regional Group 20 and BAAT Northern Ireland. The new formal collaborative partnership aims to develop this co-working in relation to common aims, including to promote art therapy and good governance in Northern Ireland. For more information about BAAT NI activities, see BAAT NI.