Professional context of Art Therapy
Music Therapy
In 1965, Music Therapy was practiced only in four hospitals in Finland. By 1973, the activity had spread to 30 institutions. At the time Music Therapy took place alongside a practitioner’s main job. At present, there are Music Therapist posts in almost every psychiatric hospital and centres for people with mental or multiple handicaps. Music Therapy is also practiced in schools with children who have behaviour disorders, MSD or learning disabilities.
Music Therapists also work in institutions for young criminals, alcoholics and drug addicts, as well as in the care of the terminally ill. Music Therapy is also used preventatively and in stress treatment programmes.
The theory of Music Therapy varies among different clients and different Music Therapists.
Music Therapy in Finland is based on the psychodynamic, humanistic and cognitive psychology theories and existential-phenomenological and hermeneutic philosophy. Music Therapy students study Freud, Winnicott, Klein, Piaget, Kohut, Malher, Stern, Jung etc.
Specialities in the Music Therapy field include the physio-acoustic Music Therapy method developed by Petri Lehikoinen, which has been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration of USA 1991), Sinusoidal Voice Therapy, Music Therapy methods (where rock music is used) and the action orientated Music Therapy method developed by Lasse Hjelm.
The Finnish Music Therapy Association has actively participated in Music Therapy training. In 1989, the Music Therapist Professional Guild was founded and since 1988, a review titled ‘Music Therapy’ has been published (four issues a year).
In 1992, the Finnish National Pension Office decided to include Music Therapists in their compensation programme.
Art Therapy
The concept of Art Therapy has traditionally been connected to psychiatric hospitals – while a wider view of the field has been developed during the last 20 years. An early interest in the visual expression of psychiatric patients is seen in the archives and collections of some hospitals where patients’ art works from the start of the century are preserved. The first Finnish exhibition of pictures made by psychiatric patients was held in 1948 in a Helsinki art gallery. At the end of the ’60s Art Therapy activity had got a foothold in most psychiatric hospitals. It was maintained by psychiatrists interested in art or by artists invited to work in the clinical setting.
The first professional training of Art Therapists was organised in 1974 by the Centre of Extended Studies in the leading art and design school which nowadays is known as The University of Art and Design Helsinki.
This education has been running ever since with an intake of 12 students. The orientation is psychoanalytical and the course has been franchised by the National Board of Medical Care. Art Therapy in this education is considered one field of application to psychotherapy.
It is now established in many psychiatric hospitals, other institutions and private practice – although permanent development is still slow. At present psychotherapy training is divided into: a special level and an exacting special level. The four year programme of Visual Arts Therapy primarily corresponds to instruction of the special level of psychotherapy. The psychoanalytical course has been franchised by the National Board of Medical Care. The development of an exacting special level is now on the agenda.
The Finnish educational field of Art Therapy training is in the process of change. The demand comes from the field of rehabilitation which is focusing to open care and making social rehabilitation more attainable in prevention of health and mental problems.
Ecarte membership information
- North Karelia Polytechnic
Degree in Social Welfare Work - Specialisation in Creative Arts Therapies
- Satakunta Polytechnic
Post Graduate Diploma in Art Therapy
Degree in Social Welfare Work - Specialisation in Creative Arts Therapies
Visual Art Therapy
Entry Requirements
A first degree or its equivalent in education or special education, teaching, psychology, nursing, social work (etc). Sufficient artistic ability and orientation. Personal suitability for therapeutic work evaluated by interviews, psychological testing and a special group dynamic situation.
Duration of Studies
Three years part time studies, 90 credits = 135 ects
Course Content
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Art studies, - 15 credits = 22 ects
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Psychosocial studies (philosophy, sociology, psychotherapy, psycho pathology), - 15 credits = 22 ects
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Art Therapies (history, theory, methodology, practice research), - 21 credits = 32ects
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Clinical practice and supervision, - 20 credits =30 ects
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Art therapy in group process, - 6 credits = 9 ects = 240h.
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Languages, - 3 credits = 5 ects
- Final work/thesis, - 10 credits = 15 ects
Course Philosophy
The aim of this training course is to educate professional Visual Art Therapists within the framework of Higher Education. The graduates will be able to answer to the various and differing needs of the clients in social and health care and in rehabilitation.
They are prepared to facilitate the creative and therapeutic processes of people in different life situations helping them to establish better quality of life.
The education also aims to prepare therapists who will have versatile and active independent attitudes to find new ways and models to apply Art Therapy in various fields of society. Experiential learning theory combined with phenomenological approaches to inquire is emphasised. As well as to different viewpoints and theories, this includes lots of self-reflective work – and responsibility for decisions and choices.
The training programme implies an assumption Visual Art Therapy is based on arts as a vehicle of therapy. The treatment takes place first of all within the perceptive and creative parameters of the artistic form. When this treatment by art is combined with therapeutic interaction and sharing a dual or group situation it is natural. Visual Arts Therapy requires a thorough training in the student’s own artistic medium. Only a therapist who has a personal and deep relationship with artistic processes and forms can make proper use of the therapeutic possibilities of art. Studies include six credits own art therapy in group process offered by education.
Contact address
Tuomas Lappalainen
North Karelia Polytechnic
Degree Programme of Social Welfare Work
Lammenkatu 18 FIN-83501 Outokumpu FINLAND
Tel: +358 13 260 6672
Fax: +358 13 260 6671
http://www.ncp.fi
Visual Arts Therapy: Aino Peltonen
e-mail: Aino.Peltonen@ncp.fi
Tel:+358 50 365 1578
Post Graduate Diploma in Art Therapy
Satakunta Polytechnic, Fine Art, Kankaanpää Finland and Hertfordshire University, UK (Franchising agreement)
The programme has been accredited by the British Association of Art Therapy (BAAT/The Health Professions Council HPC), and financed mainly by the Finnish Ministry of Education.
Entry Requirements
A first degree or its equivalent in visual arts, special education, teaching, psychology, occupational therapy, psychiatric nursing and social work (etc), is required. In cases where candidates have other than arts background, additional art studies are expected. All applicants must present a portfolio of their recent art work, and produce a piece of art for a professional art teacher in the entrance examination.
Other requirements are fluency in studying in English, and personal suitability and maturity to study therapeutic subjects. Language test, personal interview, and group observation are included in the entrance examination day. Previous clinical experience is needed in the field of education/ rehabilitation (minimum 12 months). Willingness to engage in personal therapy is needed. The minimum age is 23.
Duration of studies
Three years, part-time studies.
Course content
The Programme consists of three modules, which are all mandatory for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma Art Therapy. The students must grain a pass in all the assessed elements of each module:
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Art Therapy Theoretical studies
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Experiential Art Therapy Training
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Clinical Placement and Supervision
These modules include lectures, seminars, clinical practise (120 days), clinical supervision, workshops and experiential groups, studio practise (fine art) 90 hours, literature review, academic reading, empirical research and tutorials.
In addition to this, the students have to study altogether 200 hours of psychotherapy, and they have to receive at least 120 hours of clinical supervision in three years time, in order to meet the Finnish psychotherapy training requirements. Each student participate their personal psychotherapy throughout the three-year programme once a week at least 90 hours. The level of the therapist must be level two.
The teaching team needs to have the monthly team supervision.
The programme assessment includes: examination by written assignments, tutor assessment of student performance, self appraisal, and attendance. 100 % attendance is required, 80 % minimum attendance.
The Programme Committee, meeting at least once a semester, has got a responsibility to encompass all aspects of the Programme. The body consists of both teaching staff and student representatives.
This is a way to pass the student's own opinions and ideas on to the teaching staff.
The Examination Board meets once a year, where all reassessment and/or repeating modules will be at the discretion of the Examination Board. The board consists of the teaching team, and is managed by a representative from the University of Hertfordshire.
The students meet the External Examiner once a year, telling opinions about their own progress and learning experience.
The role of the External Examiner is to meet both the students and the staff, and give a report to the University about the Programme in the Exam Board meeting.
This is a way of forming a neutral view about the student learning experience, and the everyday management of the programme.
Course philosophy
A lot of learning happens through group discussions, experiential group processing, and continuous and progressive dialogue between the student group and the teaching staff/ visiting specialists. Another way of learning is the self-directed reading and writing of self-appraisals, essays and clinical reports, as well as developing oneself as an artist both in a group setting and individually. An ongoing Art Therapy group experience (90 hours) offers the students a central way of gaining insight and understanding into ways of using both image-making and interpersonal processed to work through personal material. An integrated tutorial system is supporting the overall development of the trainee Art Therapist.
The students are expected to be responsible for their own reading, using initiative and self-discipline; they are expected to adapt and manage change; to stand ambiguity and uncertainty concerning the group process and the individual growth to become professional art therapists; to use their intellectual and imaginative powers, to be reflective and critical, to analyse, to synthesise and to be creative; and to view the subject in a broad intellectual, ethical, social, and environmental context.
At this moment our franchised program is coming to an end. Satakunta Polytechnic is waiting for permission for registration from The National Authority for Medici-Legal Affairs in Finland (NAMF) to the art therapy education.
After getting the NAMF´s criteria for education Satakunta Polytechnic is able to continue to develop the education of art therapy towards the MA level education in the national
level.
Contact address
Satakunta Polytechnic
Centre for Adult and Continuing Education
Director
Esa Rahiala
Tiedepusto 3
FI-28600 Pori
www.samk.fi
Programme cordinator 2005
Päivi-Maria Hautala
Satakunta Polytechnic, Art therapy
PL 24
38700 Kankaanpää, Finland
Fax: 00 - 358-3-5181701
e-mail:
paivi-maria.hautala@samk.fi