Children & Art Therapy - Are Qualifications Essential?
Whether a degree qualification is necessary is questionable. Like so many roles in schools and other institutions, more professions than ever seem to deem it necessary to educate practitioners to degree level. This will allow for greater understanding of the complex issues that children may be facing when referred for treatment. With adults being able to read, listen and communicate in many ways they can often deliver the therapy themselves, following some time with a therapist.
However, with children this is a completely different situation. Their brains are complex and not fully developed. The child is suffering from a kind of trauma that is affecting their life in a considerable way if treatment is being pursued, perhaps a shock diagnosis of a medical condition for example or having trouble at school.
Specialised training is definitely a requirement but I believe that therapists should also be sure that they know how the adult brain works as well and to be able to pick up on key movements, body language, nervousness, anxiety etc and be able to deliver the appropriate type and level of treatment.
If you were interested in becoming an art therapist at the moment, in America they look at mental health as an art therapy treatment as quoted here
'Art therapy is a mental health profession, first and foremost. The practice of art therapy requires an educational background in human development, psychological and behavioural disorders, counselling theories, and therapeutic techniques. The minimum educational standards established by American Art Therapy Association require all entry level practitioners of art therapy to have a master's degree from an institution of higher learning recognised by a regional accrediting body approved by the Council for Higher Education Education (CHEA)’.
The UK is not so regimented but perhaps they should follow suit. In order to gain that valid information practitioners definitely need in depth training and perhaps a degree qualification is needed in order to pick up on not just brain development which is complex in itself, but also to learn the different approaches to treatments so that one therapist can offer a full range of treatments like CBT, psychology sessions and dance therapy as well as the different forms of art therapy itself. It would allow for extra knowledge to be passed on and less chance of a patient being pushed from one therapist to another in order to find the right treatment. It would also allow for multiple treatments to be delivered to one person as they will have choice and the therapist will be confident to try, discard and select therapies with a deeper understanding of how the brain works and what all the therapies involve. Therefore, providing the best goals, therapy and tools for recovery.
Ideally the art therapy should remain a ‘staple’ part of the child’s life even if initial access is through a qualified practitioner. There are many opportunities for this and parents should be helped and guided towards this. Have a look at some on the downloads on the website. If dance therapy is the chosen medium then look out for some dance activities in the local area and see if the child enjoys that allowing them to explore different styles until you get it right. Do activities as a family. The Log has an extensive parental guidelines incorporated into it which should give you some ideas to get you started.
School clubs would also be a great place to start and there are numerous ideas such a yoga, craft etc which are included within the log that can be download from children’s corner. These can be slipped into your normal daily routine but prove highly beneficial to your child’s recovery, quality of life and happiness.
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