University Certificate: Arts Therapies and Wellbeing Foundation
About the course
This course is available to UK/EU students only.
Harness your creativity and develop your creative identity with the University Certificate: Arts Therapies and Wellbeing Foundation course.
This 24 week course provides you with a comprehensive introduction into the practice of creative arts therapies. Throughout the course, you'll explore innovative approaches in the therapeutic use of the arts in a range of settings. From healthcare to education, the course will help you discover the healing powers of creative expression.
The course explores a variety of media, including the visul arts, drama, music and movement. Wherever your passion lies, you'll be supported throughout your learning journey by registered arts therapies practitioners.
On the course you will:
- Benefit from a 20 year legacy in the delivery of the course
- Be ecouraged to explore your creativity and to develop your artistic identity
- Join a community where your personal journey is supported by group sessions and online art exchanges
Explore the full range of visual arts approaches and the contexts in which they are used.The course is delivered on Tuesday evening (6.15 - 8.45pm) from September until May with a series of one-day workshops to compliment the Tuesday evening teaching programme. The one day workshops provide a more immersive learning opportunity and will be scheduled on weekends.
Why choose this course?
The Art Therapies and Wellbeing Foundation programme provides:
- A broad introduction to current, therapeutic use of the arts and wellbeing
- Art school context
- University Certificate
- Transferable skills.
What will I study?
You'll be taught by practising, registered arts therapists and visiting lecturers. The teaching team have experience working in a range of clinical settings with a variety of ages. This ensures you learn current methodologies, as well as benefit from varied expertise.
Alongside a qualified practitioner, you’ll develop your own creative arts practice and identity. They will also introduce you to therapeutic approaches and facilitation techniques. During the second semester, your journey is supported by fellow students in studio art experiential groups.
As well as learning about practical applications, theoretical frameworks will underpin your work. You’ll explore different arts modalities and core theories relating to: psychology, neuroscience, psychodynamics, attachment and child development, physiology, creativity, and artistic expression.
The course is open to students across the UK as we develop an interactive online teaching method alongside the experiential studio-based sessions. The theory module can be accessed online and the studio art experiential groups are blended with both face-to-face and online options available.
Programme structure
Teaching follows a structured approached enabling you to transition between theoretical knowledge, to practical application with ease.
- Week one: Introduction to Art Therapy – Myths and models – psychodynamic art therapy and group interactive approaches
- Week two: Arts therapies - Creativity, health and the artists self-identity
- Week three: The triangular relationship and transitional objects
- Week four: Child development - Art, play and story in therapy work with children
- Week five: Working with developmental trauma – neuroscience and creativity
- Week six: Groupwork in adult mental health services – attachment theory and relational patterns in adult life
- Week seven: Creative enactment and the dramatic body - Dramatherapy – body, movement and narrative
- Week eight: Introduction to art therapy and mindfulness – breath, the ‘felt sense’ and body oriented art psychotherapy
- Week nine: Jungian analytic art therapy – active imagination, individuation and dialoguing with images
- Week ten: Art, restorative justice, social action and the ‘Art Table’ - work with refugees
- Week eleven: Expressive Arts approach - Integrating the arts and imagination across the arts modalities
- Week twelve: Environmental arts therapy – an ecological approach to healing and creativity
Careers
If successful, you’ll be awarded a University Certificate in Arts Therapies and Wellbeing Foundation. While not a qualification to practice, the course offers an excellent overview of the art therapy profession and will support your journey to become a qualified practioner. Many students progress onto the postgraduate qualifiying Masters degree in art therapies.
Students also gain transferable skills and an enhanced understanding of the potential of the arts as a means of social inclusion and wellbeing.
Please note that some of the images and videos on our course pages may have been taken before social distancing rules in the UK came into force.