Dear CATA-ACAT Members,

On behalf of the Registered Canadian Art Therapist (RCAT) committee, I would like to inform you of upcoming changes to the RCAT requirements for designation with CATA-ACAT. Over the last year we have been working to make the RCAT designation requirements more intentional and the application process smoother. Starting in February 2022, the new application will be available on our website for submission on the next regularly scheduled deadline of April 30, 2022. 

The new application will be fully online. Applicants can start, save, edit, and update the progress of their application form, over the period of time that they take to complete their application and meet the requirements. In addition, the reference letters will also be PDF forms submitted directly from the referees to the registrar for approval. 

As for the requirements themselves, there are no changes to the total number of direct client hours, 1000 hours, and supervision hours, 50 hours, post graduation. The change to the supervision type of hours is as follows: 

• Individual supervision minimum 20 hours 

• Group supervision minimum of 10 hours 

• 10 hours can be a combination of group or individual. 

Forty of these hours must be provided by a RCAT or equivalent (*see below). 10 hours (group or individual supervision) can be provided by a non-RCAT, regulated health professional in your province. CATA-ACAT recognizes that the landscape of art therapy has shifted and more art therapists find themselves in workplaces with supervision provided by regulated health professions who are not registered art therapists. Diverse supervision is essential to providing care to clients and therefore CATA-ACAT would like to acknowledge diverse supervision hours. If the applicant does not receive supervision from other health professionals, all 50 supervision hours can be accumulated with an RCAT through individual or group supervision.

In summary:

Individual Supervision (RCAT): Minimum 20 hours

Group Supervision (RCAT): Minimum 10 hours, maximum 20 hours

Provincially Regulated Health Professional (non-RCAT) Supervision: Maximum 10 hours

*Equivalent credentials are as follows in the registered categories: British Columbia Art Therapy Association, the Ontario Art Therapy Association, the Art Therapy Credentials Board, British Association of Art Therapists or Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association.  

In addition, all applicants need to provide documentation of five professional development activities completed in the last three years. These activities must directly pertain to their art therapy practice. A short statement of the use and relevance of the professional development activities in one’s practice will be required. The activities can include but are not limited to: attending or presenting a conference session or webinar, taking a course, writing and publishing, being a part of committees or other.  

For those working in private practice, a reference letter will be needed from someone in their professional community who can attest to the applicant's work as an art therapist in their community.

I would like to formally thank all those who have supported this endeavor of change to the RCAT application process, your support is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Marie Muggeridge BFA, MPS-AT, CCC, RCAT
CATA-ACAT Registrar and Registration Committee Chair
registration@canadianarttherapy.org