About BAAT NI
Rita Simon was the founder of NIGAT in 1976 and a founding member of BAAT in 1964. Therefore in 2025, NIGAT and BAAT Northern Ireland (BAAT NI) agreed to further develop their long-standing mutual support and establish a formal collaborate 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 both BAAT Northern Ireland and BAAT Regional Group 20. The new formal collaboration aims to further develop this co-working in relation to common aims, including to promote art therapy / art psychotherapy and good professional governance in N Ireland. NIGAT and BAAT NI each retain their pre-existing identities and approach, whilst also benefiting from their synergy. Together we are stronger.
BAAT Northern Ireland (BAAT NI) is the NI country group of BAAT and is mostly outward facing: promoting the profession, responding to Government Departments’ consultations, lobbying, and also supporting NI members. It is steered by a committee who promote local art therapy and good professional practice and clinical governance. Since the late 1990s, a number of art therapists in Northern Ireland, including Eileen McCourt and Dr Caryl Sibbett, have responded to numerous Departmental consultations and lobbied Government. When Caryl relayed to the local co-ordinators that BAAT had a Scotland country group doing similar lobbying work, Dr Colin Sims and Eileen McCourt asked BAAT if the ongoing work could be recognised by forming a NI country group 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 formal committee. BAAT Northern Ireland also assists Region 20 in providing CPD.
– BAAT NI is active on social media: BAAT NI Facebook BAAT NI Instagram BAAT NI X / Twitter
– All interested parties: BAAT Northern Ireland can be emailed at 
baatni@baatcrs.org
Regional Group 20 and BAAT NI have a Forum for members, accessible via the BAAT Memberzone: https://baat.org/forums/groups/northern-ireland/forum/
The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) is the professional organisation for art therapists in the United Kingdom and has its own Code of Ethics of Professional Practice, and it works to promote art therapy in the UK.
– To find an Art Therapist / Art Psychotherapist in the UK who is a BAAT member, see https://baat.org/find-an-art-therapist/
– BAAT is active on social media: BAAT Facebook BAAT Instagram BAAT YouTube BAAT Linkedin
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 is supported by BAAT NI.
– BAAT members: BAAT Region 20 can be emailed at region20@baatcrs.org
BAAT NI Annual Meetings
BAAT NI has held a free CPD Annual Meeting day event for members every year since 2021.
2026 BAAT NI Annual Meeting
BAAT NI Annual Meeting 2025.
Eileen McCourt – well deserved recipient of
the BAAT Lifetime Achievement Award 2025.
Nominated by Caryl Sibbett, endorsed by BAAT Chair, and selected by BAAT’s Award panel.
Photo 2025: BAAT NI Chair Clare Boyd,
BAAT CEO Gary Fereday,
BAAT NI Committee member Eileen McCourt,
BAAT NI Vice Chair Caryl Sibbett.
Video of excerpts from the BAAT NI Annual Meeting 2025…
BAAT NI committee lobbying at Stormont
& Brendan O’Neill (Art Therapist, WHSCT)
& Brendan O’Neill (Art Therapist, WHSCT)
Nina Johnston
Dr Caryl Sibbett (in 2022: Vice Chair of BAAT, Committee member BAAT NI, immediate past Deputy Chair of BACP).
Jo Holmes (in 2022: Children, Young People and Families Lead at the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy).
Michelle McIlveen (in 2022: Minister of Education).
Caryl and Jo – representing art psychotherapy and counselling/psychotherapy – meeting with Minister McIlveen, Minister of Education – lobbying to secure Transition Fund to Extend Healthy Happy Minds Therapeutic and Counselling Service Pilot. BAAT NI & BACP. Photo: 8th August 2022, Outside Stormont, Belfast.
BAAT NI committee promoting Art Therapy
Eileen McCourt
(Committee member of @Baat_NIreland & @NIGAT_UK)
was pleased to attend the Opening Symposium of Mental Health ArtsNI at the Nerve Centre Derry/Londonderry to hear Brendan O’Neill (Art Therapist, WHSCT) present on his work with people with addictions.
In the photo L-R: Damien Coyle (Co-Chair MHANI), Eileen McCourt (Art Therapist), Noelle McAlinden (Co-Chair MHANI), Julie Murphy & Brendan O’Neill (Art Therapists), and Roe (amazing singer).
2026.
Five BAAT NI Committee members presented: ‘Piecing / Peacing Together: trauma-informed art psychotherapy in N. Ireland’
at the European Federation of Art Therapy (EFAT) Conference, London, 2025.
BAAT NI Committee member Eileen McCourt
promoting Art therapy at a PBNI conference,
Photo 2023.
Caryl Sibbett Co-Chairing with Steve Mulligan (Four Nations Lead, BACP) a Consortium of representatives from a cross section of service providers of therapy for children and young people. This included senior managers.
The Consortium’s aim is to work collaboratively to try to ensure arts therapies and counselling provision in NI primary schools and wider education settings. This consortium is led by BACP.
Photo: 2023.
Recent BAAT NI Committee members’ inputs to
NI Government Departmental
reports and consultations
include:
BAAT NI / NIGAT Committee members’ inputs have led to achievements and the creation of many job opportunities,
including the following in recent years:
BAAT NI committee representation on relevant bodies
Psychological Professions:
In NI, Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy and Counselling / Psychotherapy are recognised as two of the Psychological Professions and are represented on
– the Psychological Professions Forum for NI by Dr Caryl Sibbett (art psychotherapy & counselling / psychotherapy) and Eileen McCourt (art therapy) (both voluntary roles).
See DoH: Psychological Professions Forum for NI, Department of Health’s LinkedIn post, Department of Health’s Facebook post.
Psychological Professions Forum for NI, Department of Health NI, 2026.
The PPFNI is Chaired by Professor Nichola Rooney,
Chief Psychological Professions Officer at the Department of Health.
NIGAT / BAAT NI committees: represented on BACP’s School and college counselling expert reference group by Dr Caryl Sibbett.
Allied Health Professionals (AHPs):
Art Therapists / Art Psychotherapists in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK are Allied Health Professionals (AHPs).
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:
– the Allied Health Professions Federation Northern Ireland by Eileen McCourt (regular member) and Caryl Sibbett (alternate) (voluntary roles).
As AHPs, Art Therapists / Art Psychotherapists in NI are also represented on:
– 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 (CAHPO) for Northern Ireland.
See also Department of Health’s Allied Health Professions – Policy and Guidance Documents.
ACAHP – Chaired by the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer.
Robin Swann MP, then Minister of Health, in attendance.
Regional Trauma Network – Research Advisory Group:
BAAT NI and NIGAT have a representative on the Regional Trauma Network‘s Research Advisory Group. Dr Caryl Sibbett was invited to be a member (voluntary role). The focus is research pertaining to Troubles related trauma in NI and the provision of effective psychological therapy services. Liaising with colleagues and attending a meeting in Queen’s University Belfast, 2026.
BAAT NI on Social Media:
BAAT NI on Facebook – BAAT NI on X/Twitter – BAAT NI on Instagram
