You may choose to work with a local registered art therapist or you may choose to work with one at a distance using technology. Art therapists who are recognized by CATA have either received their registration from the Canadian Art Therapy Association (RCAT); the Art Therapy Credential Board (ATR); the Ontario Art Therapy Association (OATR); or British Columbia Art Therapy Association (BCATR).

Other qualifications that are deemed equivalent include art therapists who are Registered Art Therapists Board Certified in the USA with license to practice and supervise art therapy as required by their practicing state (ATR-BC), who are Art Therapy Cedrentialed Supervisors in the USA with license to practice and supervise art therapy as required by their practicing state (ATCS), who are registered with the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) or registered with the Australia, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA).

No. Peer-Supervision, also known as peer-consultation, is not considered a form of supervision as it is informal and unstructured.

Group supervision is formal and structured, and is led by a supervisor who meets the requirements.

You may have up to 10 hours of non-RCAT supervision. This can be completed with another regulated professional. For example Registered Psychologist, Registered Social Worker, Psychiatric Nurse, Registered Counselling Therapist, Registered Psychotherapists, this list is not exhaustive. 

No. Supervised art therapy hours for registration begins once you have completed all the academic, practical, supervision, thesis approval, and any other requirement in your program to be considered graduated from the training program you have attended. 

No. Graduation from an art therapy training program that is in compliance with CATA’s education standards is a requirement for registration with CATA. Supervised art therapy and client contact hours are not eligible to be counted towards registration until the student art therapist has completed all the academic, practica, supervision, thesis approval and any other requirement your training program requires for graduation and must be able to provide proof of graduation. 

No. Art therapy supervision must be received from a Registered Art Therapist to be eligible to submit an application for registration from CATA. You may be supervised by an art therapist, but may not use the supervision to count towards your registration clinical hours.