Professional context of Art Therapy
The developing of Slovenian arts therapies training programme
was started in 1991 in the frame of European Tempus project. In 1996 it was
recognised by University of Ljubljana and by the Government of Slovenia (the
Board for Higher Education). From the beginning it is an international study
course. Every year 4-6 guest teachers and experts for arts therapies from
abroad are invited to cooperate in running the courses.
In 2004 in Slovenia there are approximately fifty part-time
students at postgraduate arts therapies course, 6 arts therapists who
formally finished post graduate study of arts therapies at University of
Ljubljana (2 art therapists, 3 dance movement therapists, 1 music therapist)
and 10 occupational therapists and psychotherapists who use arts therapies
methods in their work.
Altogether there are over 60 arts therapists (20 dance/movement, 25
visual arts, 10 drama, 6 music), who work in different institutions: 14
therapists in hospitals and clinics, about 40 in schools (mainstream and
special education), 2 in private practice, 2 in community centres for social
work, 2 therapists in community centres for cultural work. Some of them work
in two places. Unfortunately there is no financial support for study from
the government. Only a few of students receive scholarship of their
institutions. Most of students must pay school-fees by themselves what is
several times the reason that their study lasts longer. In 2004 the
Slovenian Arts Therapists Association was founded. One of the main tasks of
the association is to establish arts therapists as the profession on the
list of professions in Slovenia.
UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA
Faculty of Education
Postgraduate Arts Therapies Education
Specialisation Degree Programme - Arts Therapies –
Therapeutic Support through the Arts
Entry requirements
The candidates must have a degree in a higher education programme
such as Special Education, Social Pedagogy or Art Education, Music Pedagogy
and other art courses, Pre-school Education, Primary Teaching, Psychology,
Pedagogy, Social Work, Health Care, Higher Professional Schools and Faculty
of Sport, as well as a degree in other university or higher education
professional programmes.
Additionally it is required that they have been involved in one of the
artistic activities as amateurs.
Candidates must exhibit the basic mastery of the chosen artistic medium, for
Music Therapy also the knowledge of music culture, and must know how to play
an instrument at the finished level of secondary music school.
To enrol, the candidates need to prove that they have done full-time,
part-time or volunteer work with people with special needs in the area where
they will directly implement, test and develop the knowledge acquired in the
process of specialisation studies.
Duration of studies
2 years (4 semesters) part-time.
Course content
The post-graduate specialisation programme
brings the candidate 120 credit points (CP); one credit point corresponds to
five programme hours.
Credit points are distributed as follows: A/ Organised study forms 90 CP,
Practice with supervision (500 + 100 working hours) 15 CP, B/ Individual
developmental and research work (specialisation thesis) 15 CP.
The programme follows a module system and includes two groups of modules:
programme: total of 300 hours.
Modules of the core part of the programme:
150 H (30 CP):
- Psychological module:
Psychology of personality and clinical psychology. 2 Developmental
psychology and psychology of creativity. 2.Cultural module: Anthropology 2,
Sociology of culture 2.
- Communication module:
Interpersonal communication. Body language (EBL) 8Therapeutic module: Social
pedagogy 2, Special education 2, Basis of psychopathology and psychotherapy
6.
Modules of the elective part of the programme:
300H (60 CP):
- Music course - Music therapy: Vocal music with song repertoire 12, Chamber
music and improvisation with musical instruments 18, Music therapy and
supervision 30.
- Drama course - Drama therapy: Acting, schools, techniques 18, Pantomime 6,
Puppet animation 6, Drama therapy and supervision 30.
- Dance-Movement course - Dance-Movement therapy: Anatomy, motor system,
movement skills 6, Dance types and techniques 12, Expression and creation
with movement 12, Dance movement therapy and supervision 30.
- Visual Arts course - Visual Arts therapy: Drawing, painting 10, Plastic
and spatial design 10, Visual arts expression, creation 10, Visual arts
therapy and supervision 30.
- Practice with supervision 15 CP
- Specialisation thesis 15 CP
Organisation of studies:
The programme comprises workshops, group consultations, practice
and supervision. The study is partly individual.
The candidates complete those modules of the core and elective part
of the programme they have not yet completed in their initial studies or
they have them acknowledged in case their previous studies already included
them.
Requirements for completing the studies
The candidates take exams in the form of oral presentation or they
present a seminar paper from the modules or areas not included in their
initial studies. The candidates need to complete the practice with
supervision in an appropriate institution over three semesters, three days a
week, in the area of the chosen course of Therapeutic Support through the
Arts (Arts Therapies), if possible in collaboration with a tutor -
practitioner in therapeutic support through the arts (arts therapist).
The candidates complete and defend a specialisation thesis - a professional
research work in the art medium of the chosen module.
Title. Upon completing their specialisation studies, candidates
receive the title of Specialist in Support through the Arts (Dance-Movement,
Drama, Music or Visual Arts Therapy) – Specialist in Arts Therapy (Dance-Movement,
Drama, Music or Visual Arts Therapy).
Course philosophy
The post-graduate specialisation programme of Therapeutic Support
through the Arts (Arts Therapies) covers the needs of practice, which
encompasses the areas of special education, social pedagogy, educational and
therapeutic work in kindergartens, schools, hospitals and other institutions,
rehabilitation of physically disabled etc.
Today, all these areas require modern (therapeutic) programmes
which also include various forms of support through the arts (arts therapies)
- drama, dance movement, music, visual arts either as supportive or
independent forms of therapy.
In developmental and therapeutic work with people with special
needs, encouraging the self-actualisation process is becoming increasingly
important. This process unfolds most effectively in creative arts activities.
The creative process in various arts media contributes to the activation,
rehabilitation, personal integration and socialisation of people with
special needs. The post-graduate studies enable a systematic development of
such support, which is in some places already being implemented but not in
an organised way and depending solely on the commitment and self-training of
some individuals and on the awareness of the administration in some
institutions.
Upon completing the specialisation, the candidates will be qualified to
implement one of the forms of support with arts (arts therapies) into their
previous professional field. In this way, the quality of their professional
work within their profession will improve and they will be able to develop
modern programmes in the area of therapeutic support through the arts - arts
therapies.
Contact address
Dr. Breda Kroflič, Associate Professor
Convenor for Postgraduate Arts Therapies Education
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education
Kardeljeva pl. 16
Si – 1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
e-mail:
breda.kroflic@guest.arnes.si