Art Therapists work with a variety of populations. Art therapy is effective for people of any age and an art therapist works with individuals, couples, families and groups in settings such as counselling agencies, schools, treatment centres, rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, correctional institutes and elder care locations.

As we are not a regulatory body, CATA does not have a Code of Ethics. Codes of Ethics are broad principles that members agree to adhere to in making decisions and conducting themselves in a profession. A violation of the Code of Ethics can also be seen as negligence but is more of a moral concern for the professional.

Salaries are comparable to those of a counsellor, social worker or therapist with graduate degrees and vary depending on whether you work in private practice or for an agency.

Art therapy is currently a self-regulated field in Canada. However, to be able to be a Professional or Registered member of CATA, you must have graduated from an art therapy program that meets CATA’s education standards. These are listed on our Art Therapy Training page. If the professional art therapy association of a particular country recognizes the program, CATA honours that program as meeting CATA education standards. As an example, if you took your training in the US, the professional association in the US is the American Art Therapy Association (AATA). They have a listing on their website of all the schools with programs that they have approved. Same in the UK and other countries. If you are concerned whether the program you wish to take will allow you eligibility to be a Professional or Registered member of CATA in the future, and that country does not have a governing association, then you can direct your question to our Education Director at education@canadianarttherapy.org.

In Canada, an undergraduate degree in fine arts, psychology, social work or counselling is required before entering one of the art therapy programs. If the undergraduate degree is in another area, a prior learning assessment can be recognized to determine appropriate equivalency. It is recommended to have art and psychology courses.  These programs include post-graduate diplomas, graduate diplomas and Master’s degree programs. For more information, visit Becoming an Art Therapist.