Professional context of Art Therapy

Arts therapies training

Bachelor and master
 

   In The Netherlands the transformation to the bachelor-master structure has been made. Since the introduction of this structure the Universities of Professional Education (UPEs), which host the arts therapies training programs (as listed in the ECArTE directory), started or are developing master programs. These master programs will be focused on professional competences and research competences for the development of the profession.
   There is a cooperation between the research institutes of the UPEs and the Universities of Scientific Education (USEs), where students after their masters degree from the UPE can do their PhD. Students in the Netherlands now have the possibility to get their bachelor’s degree, their master’s degree and their PhD.
   This will have an enormous impact on the body of knowledge of the arts therapies.
   Training programs become accredited by the Dutch Ministry of Education and need to fulfil many professional and educational requirements. The recent accreditation of the bachelor programs in 2003 shows that the four-year fulltime arts therapies bachelor programs represent a high standard of training.

Professional developments

Registration

   In The Netherlands the Foundation for Registration of Arts Therapists (SRCT), registers arts therapists after their bachelor training, with an additional amount of clinical experience, supervision and post-graduate or master training.
   In the domain of health professions there is also a system of legislation by the government, called the Professions in Individual Health Care and Cure Law (BIG-wet) by which professions will be protected by law. At this time there are negotiations within the Council for Postgraduate Training (CONO), which is the advisory board of the Dutch Ministry of Health Care, Cure and Well-being, to take arts therapies into the BIG law, and to establish arts therapies as a protected profession.

Product development and evidence based guidelines
   The Dutch health system requires that all treatments are described in so-called treatment products: a description of goals, indications, contra-indications, interventions, rationales, resources, frequency and length of treatment connected to one particular problem of the client.
   The Dutch health system also requires the development of guidelines, based on research evidence, which show what sort of therapy is most successful with what sort of problem of the client.
Evidence includes results from randomised controlled trials, professional tacit knowledge and client experiences.

Research

   Several years ago the Dutch Ministry of Education decided, in cooperation with the UPEs, that research facilities in the UPE's are strongly needed. Since 2002 these facilities have gradually developed. A so-called 'kenniskring' is a research institute, paid by the government, within an UPE in which an associate professor is appointed as head of research, and teachers are doing research. The results of the research projects are input for the bachelor and master training programs.
There is a close cooperation with the Dutch Association for Creative Therapy (NVCT). There are four research institutes in which research in the arts therapies takes place:

Knowledge development of arts therapies (KenVaK)
Zuyd in Sittard, Utrecht and Saxion Enschede
Prof.dr. Henk Smeijsters

Movement and behaviour modification
University of Professional Education Windesheim at Zwolle
Associate Prof.dr. Ruud Bosscher

Professionalizing social studies professions and arts therapies
University of Professional Education Arnhem & Nijmegen
Associate Prof.dr. Kitty Kwakman

Social work and arts therapies studies
CHN University, Netherlands
Associate Prof.dr. Alice Schippers

UNIVERSITY OF ARNHEM & NIJMEGEN

Professional Diploma in Drama Therapy
Professional Diploma in Music Therapy
Professional Diploma in Art Therapy

Entry Requirements

- Diploma of Secondary Education or Professional Higher Education.
- Admission interview.
- Test of ability/skills and affinity for fine art.

Duration of Studies

- 4 years full-time, study load of 6720 hours
- 4 years part-time mixed-media
- 4 years or shorter 12 hours a week and 12 hours of self study in the second year 10 hours a week working in the field of Arts Therapies.

Course Content

1. Theory and methodology of Art Therapy (lectures and workshops)
2. Theory and methodology of Arts Therapies training in general (lectures and workshops)
3. Lectures in therapeutically relevant sciences like psychology, psychopathology, ethics, sociology etc
4. Training in social skills
5. Clinical placement of 1.5yrs part-time & supervision
6. Art
7. Final examination/thesis
Assessment
Portfolio
Therefore the student has to do a clinical placement of one year, one day a week, combined with one day of study, workshops and reflection

Course Philosophy

   In our perception of Arts Therapies we focus on the art-analogue approach which means that Arts Therapies work through the application of art itself in therapy.
   Clients can in this way express, experience in the arts and gain a grip on their life and life problems.
   Stating this, the focus in the training is in one way strongly towards a thorough artistic training of the student, since the arts are such an essential part of therapy.
   The student must also develop a good method of reflecting on his own art work, combining this with reflection on using his own knowledge and ability in art in therapy.
   To do this the student must have excellent knowledge and training in therapeutic issues in general and knowledge and training in theory and methods of Art Therapy.
   The emphasis in the Netherlands in general, and in our training programme as well, is on very good vocational training. Therefore the student has to do a clinical placement of one and a half years, three days a week, combined with two days of study, workshops and reflection.
   Finally we expect the student to integrate his knowledge of therapy, theories and personal development in the profession. For that he has to write a research report at the end of his studies, as well as give a performance of his artistic skills in relation to Arts Therapies and a public lecture on an Arts Therapy related theme in which he shows this integration.
 

Contact address

E.W.J Egbert Hulshof
Director of Studies
University of Professional Education of Arnhem & Nijmegen
Department of Arts Therapies
Postbus 6970
6503 GL Nijmegen
NETHERLANDS
Tel: 0031 24 3530852
Fax: 0031 24 3604372
E-mail : egbert.hulshof@han.nl
Website: www.han-cto.nl
www.hanuniversity.nl


STENDEN UNIVERSITY , LEEUWARDEN

Bachelor’s Degree in Drama Therapy
Bachelor’s Degree in Art Therapy

Entry Requirements

- The equivalent of a Dutch High School degree at senior level or eleventh grade vocational training.
- Candidates can be accepted after passing an entrance exam, if they are 21 years or older
- Involvement and aptitude of the student with regard to art work is to be tested in a selection interview.

Duration of Studies

4 years full-time

Course Contents

Problem based learning with thematically integrated modules is the basic learning method of the CHN Leeuwarden. The following courses are offered:

- Basic theory and methods of Art Therapy.
- Art Studio courses and workshops.
- Social sciences, including multi-cultural aspects, and psychology courses.
- Communication skills, values and ethics orientation.
- Traineeships in the first, second and third years.

Course Philosophy

The training has a two-fold purpose:
- To enable students to develop skills in the field of arts.
- To develop their skills as therapists.
In 2004/2005 the curriculum is being renewed based on development of competencies.

Parallel training in both the arts and the therapeutic disciplines is inherent to our courses.
Several electives like humanitarian assistance and cross-cultural healthcare are offered.


Contact address

Mrs.Wietske E. Wiersma
CHN University OF Professional Education
CHN Arts Therapy Department
P.O.Box 1298
8900 CG Leeuwarden
Netherlands
Tel: +31582441603
Fax: +31582441480
Email: wwiersma@chn.nl



CHN UNIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION, LEEUWARDEN

Short Track Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Drama Therapy

Entry Requirements

- A Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent) in related field.
- Work experience in the (related) field of Arts Therapy.
- Candidates can be accepted after passing an entrance exam, if they are 21 years or older
- Involvement and aptitude of the student with regard to art work is to be tested in a selection interview.

Duration of Studies

2,5 years part-time (one day a week at location, 20 hours of self study)

Course Contents

Problem based learning with thematically integrated modules is the basic learning method of the CHN Leeuwarden. The following courses are offered:

- Basic theory and methods of Arts Therapy.
- Art Studio courses and workshops.
- Social sciences, including multi-cultural aspects, and psychology courses.
- Communication skills, values and ethics orientation.
- Traineeships.

Course Philosophy

The training has a two-fold purpose:
- To enable students to develop skills in the arts field.
- To develop their skills as a therapist.
In 2004/2005 the curriculum is redesigned based on development of competencies.

Parallel training in both the arts and the therapeutic disciplines is inherent to our courses.

Contact address

Mrs.Wietske E. Wiersma
CHN University of Professional Education
CHN Arts Therapy Department
P.O.Box 1298
8900 CG Leeuwarden
Netherlands
Tel: +31582441603
Fax: +31582441480
Email: wwiersma@chn.nl


ZUYD UNIVERSITY, HEERLEN

Professional Diploma in Art Therapy
Professional Diploma in Music Therapy
Professional Diploma in Dramatherapy
Professional Diploma in Dance/Movement Therapy

General outline for all Arts Therapy courses

Entry Requirements

- Graduated from high level general academic education or pre-university education
- Basic medium skills
- Fundamental therapeutic medium skills
- Fundamental knowledge of therapy and client relationship
- Fundamental knowledge about the profession of arts therapies
- Personal potentials for the therapeutic profession

Duration of Studies

4 years full time bachelor’s training programme

Course Content

   The four Arts Therapy training courses of the Zuyd University are built on all basic and several advanced competencies of the profession of Art Therapy. All intermediate goals are deduced form the basic professional competencies. The department of Arts Therapies follows the educational policy of self-monitoring learning which has been introduced by the faculty of social professions of the Zuyd University.
In the two years fundamental therapeutic courses there are several modules on:
- competencies on diagnosis and indication
- theoretical and methodical competencies
- basic and therapeutic medium competencies
- general therapeutic competencies like communication
- self experience
- general professional competencies like chairing a discussion group
- research competencies
- internships

The educational strategy is personalised by means of:
- Lectures.
- Workshops.
- Response lectures in which students receive feedback on their independent work
- Individual tasks by which the students by means of literature and practical work search for solutions for theoretical and practical professional problems
- Group tasks by which the students in groups search solutions for theoretical and practical professional problems.

Course Philosophy in General

   In September 1997 the training programmes in Sittard (Dramatherapy, Music Therapy, Fine Arts Therapy, Dance & Movement Therapy) started changing their curriculum completely.
   The competences which will be reached at the end of the curriculum have been developed using different resources, such as the professional profile of the Dutch Association for Creative Therapy and the so-called CT-Molecule. This CT-Molecule gives a comprehensive summary of all aspects of Arts Therapies developed by the department of Art Therapies in Sittard. The final competences have been operationalised in intermediate goals for each year of education. These goals act as guide lines for all parts of the curriculum. Thus, each educational module, is connected to the final educational competences.
   Each year of training has been dived in so-called educational lines which have been deduced from the CT-Molecule. Theses educational lines are:
1) Human Sciences and Therapy
2) Creative Therapy Theory: Diagnosis/ Indication/ Method/ Medium/ Attitude/ Self-experience/ Profession/ Research
3) Creative Therapy Practice: Medium competences / Applied medium competences / Methodical competences / Attitude / Self-experience
4) Internships and guest professors, 5 Free modules
   The educational lines, which run through all years of study, are subdivided in educational modules which centre round the issues mentioned within each line. For instance, in the second educational line, a student learns how to diagnose, to make an indication, to choose a method of Music Therapy which is connected to the diagnosis and indication, to give an answer to the question which specific role the medium in therapy will have. Also in this line the student acquires basic competences of the therapeutic relationship, undergoes self-experience, learns how to act as a professional in an institution and learns how to do philosophical and empirical research.
   Each line is progressive. For instance, in the first year of education the student learns how to recognise and summarise aspects of psychopathology when reading case studies, whereas in the higher levels of education the student learns how to make a diagnosis himself. In the first year of education the student learns how to select information about indications in a case study, whereas in the higher levels of education he learns how to analyse indication made by other art therapists, and to make an indication which fulfils scientific criteria.
   The third educational line shows how students become trained in the competences they need to act as an Arts Therapist. This line is about ‘how to do it’. Both educational lines are offered at the same time, thus theory and practice are integrated. In the second line also aspects of attitude and self-experience are integrated.
   Internships have been introduced during all years of training. In the first year of education during several days/weeks the student will become acquainted with clients. In the second year of education the student will be trained several hours a week, how to use medium competences when working with groups. During two weeks the student will become acquainted with two different working areas, and prepare himself for the internship of the third year. During the third year of education the student fulfils a full-time internship, learning how to use methods.
   The fourth year is spend on several advanced theoretical and practical competencies and on the thesis which includes research in practice.
   In the near future during the final year of education, students will start working part time as a beginning professional and at the same time write their thesis about their clinical work. Several students already have started doing quantitative or qualitative single-case studies.
   This clinical project is structured by means of a framework in which the research question, the research method, the client group, the research plan, the resources, the results and conclusions are described. The students learn how to design and to carry out a research plan, how to document and represent it.

Contact address

 
Jaap Welten

Zuyd University
Department of Arts Therapies
P.O. box 550
6400 AN Heerlen

The Netherlands

Nieuw Eyckholt 300
6419 DJ Heerlen
The Netherlands

Tel: +31.45-4006480
Fax: +31.45-4006369

e-mail: j.welten@hszuyd.nl

website: www.hszuyd.nl

ZUYD UNIVERSITY, HEERLEN
 

Master Arts Therapies

A two year part-time training course for experienced arts therapists. Students are trained to develop indications, interventions, guidelines and theories by means of naturalistic research techniques. A qualitative as well as a quantitative research project is included.

Contact address

Prof. Dr. H. Smeijsters
e-mail: h.smeijsters@hszuyd.nl
kenvak.hszuyd.nl
website: www.smeijsters.nl


UTRECHT UNIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
Hogeschool Utrecht
Utrecht Institute of Social Work

Bachelor Arts Therapies

Professional Diploma in Drama Therapy
Professional Diploma in Music Therapy
Professional Diploma in Art Therapy

Entry Requirements

- Diploma of Secondary Education or Professional Higher Education.
- Admission interview about personal potentials
- Test basic medium skills

Duration of Studies

- 4 years full-time, study load of 6720 hours (240 ects) (in Amersfoort)
- 4 years part-time (age 21 and up) study load of 3248 (156 ects) hours in combination with a relevant job in Social Work (including Traineeships) (in Utrecht)

Course Content

Full time and part-time studies
There are several modules on:
- competencies on diagnosis, indication; theoretical and methodical
- basic and therapeutical medium competencies
- art studio and self experience
- competencies on social sciences

   Each year of study contains four periods in which students pass interim examinations and assessments.
There are possibilities for traineeships in each year, also including research in practice.
Development of portfolio, student counseling, reflection and supervision are import aspects in our program.
Finally the student presents good practices from traineeships and projects gained, in which integration of body of knowledge and artistic skills is shown. The student presents written (evidence based) research.

Course Philosophy

   During the year 2005 several choices has been made for future developments.

   All our students become Bachelors of Social Work, but with the special (professional) addition of Art Therapy. Drama Therapy or Music Therapy.
   Our philosophy is that the Arts Therapies are a very helpful treatment in different situations in Health Care, Cure, Wellbeing and (Special) Education. The students not only study arts therapies in mono-disciplined groups (drama, music or art) but also work in multi-disciplined groups with students of other Social Work Studies, e.g. Cultural and Social Development, Social Work and Social Services, Social Welfare Services and Special Education Studies. In this way the students get to know the variety of indications in the field of Social Work, and learn to work with colleagues of other disciplines in Social Work from the beginning of their study.
   This enables the students to present themselves to organisations and institutes in the field of Social Work and to the policy-makers of the Dutch Health System in a multidisciplinary way.
   The curriculum is in constant renewal to anticipate to the changes in labour market in the Netherlands whereas Health Care, Special Education and (Public) Welfare are becoming more and more interdependent.
   Students have the possibility to develop 30 ects knowledge in inter-faculty linkage (minor programme) and have freedom in the programming of those 30 ects.

Contact address

Coen van der Linden, M.A.
Director Utrecht Institute of Social Work (UISW)
Utrecht University of Professional Education
Department of Creative Therapies
P.O. Box 85397
3508 AJ Utrecht
the Netherlands
Tel: +31 30252 9600/ 9629
Fax: +31 30252 9601
E-mail : coen.vanderlinden@hvu.nl

CODARTS, University of Professional Arts Education
Postgraduate Programme in Dance Therapy
as from 2008: Master of Dance Therapy

Postgraduate diploma in dance therapy
as from 2008: MA of Dance Therapy

Entry Requirements
a relevant Bachelor degree
good dance movement vocabulary
a minimum of 3 years work experience in a relevant field
good command of spoken and written English
a relevant motivational letter, a good movement audition and a positive intake interview

Duration of Studies
2 years part time (120 EC) with the possibility of prolongation in a third year

Course Contents of the Postgraduate programme
Main subjects:
Dance Therapy Theory and Methods (32 EC), Dance Therapy Group Processes (5 EC) and Laban Movement Analysis (10 EC)
Contextual subjects:
Psychology/ Psychotherapy (25 EC), Anatomy/ Kinesiology (4 EC), Research Design and Methodology (8 EC).
Professional Practice:
Fieldwork (10 EC) and Internship (26 EC)

Course Philosophy
Our mission is to educate professional dance therapists who are trained to combine therapeutic skills with an investigative attitude and who make use of a dance / movement vocabulary that is rooted in modern dance, improvisation and Laban Movement Analysis.

The curriculum covers the broad scope of methods and theoretical approaches that are recognized and used in the contemporary international field of dance movement therapy. The dance therapy curriculum also integrates other elements of the modern dance curriculum, including:
 - various aspects of modern dance;
 - the creative process and improvisation, and
 - the relationship between dance / movement qualities and Laban Movement Analysis.
Together these various elements contribute to a cohesive course of training and provide the unifying threads between the different study modules.

The programme’s central teaching concepts include: integration of theory and practice, discovery through practical experience, and exploratory learning. Ultimately, students learn by being able to critically reflect on their practical experiences. The underlying foundation in different theories encourages and enhances reflection. The theoretical approaches and methods in dance therapy are supported by studying movement analysis, psychotherapy, anatomy and research methodology.

The programme has a substantially international character, which is reflected in the choice of teachers/dance therapists from all over the world, who are leading professionals in the field, in the student population which is strictly selected according to quality, and in the fact that the programme is conducted in English.
In order to meet the highest standards the curriculum of the Rotterdam postgraduate programme has been developed in accordance with the standards set by the American Dance Therapy Association.
The programme is firmly anchored in the (international) professional field, and graduates of the programme are recognized by national and international professional associations.
.
Contact Address
Codarts, University of Professional Arts Education
Kruisplein 26
3012 CC Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Coordination Postgraduate Programme in Dance Therapy
Drs. Annelies Schrijnen-van Gastel
Nicki Wentholt

E-mail: nwentholt@codarts.nl
Website: www.codarts.nl 

Tel + 31 (0)10 2171120