Inter-professional learning: initial observations of the art psychotherapy tools used in the post-qualifying postgraduate training in counselling children and young people

ABSTRACT

Children and young people (C&YP) counselling training and art psychotherapy training lead to two distinctive psychological therapy approaches; one is informed by British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’s Competences for work with children and young people (4–18 years) [BACP. (2019a). Competences for work with children and young people (4–18 years). Retrieved from https://www.bacp.co.uk/media/5863/bacp-cyp-competence-framework.pdf], the other by Health and Care Professions Council’s Standards of Proficiency for Arts Therapists [HCPC. (2013). Standards of proficiency - Arts therapists. Retrieved from http://www.hpc-uk.org/publications/index.asp?id=39#publicationSearchResults]. In this article we outline the training methods utilised on the Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling C&YP at a British University and share initial observations of how creative and arts-based therapeutic tools form an important part of the curriculum delivery. The aim of this paper is also to outline the role of intentionality application in the use of creative interventions in therapeutic practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Children and young people counselling
• art psychotherapy
• counselling training
• inter-professional learning
• creative therapeutic tools

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Blanka Hubena is a Senior Lecturer in Therapeutic Studies and the current Course Leader for the MA Art Psychotherapy at the University of South Wales, UK, with significant contribution also to teaching on PG Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People and MA Music Therapy. As an art psychotherapist and clinical supervisor, she has experience of working with a broad range of metal health difficulties across the life span. Her research interests include interprofessional training, clinical competence and arts in health and well-being.

Judith Mulcahy is a BACP Accredited Counsellor, formerly the Academic Subject Manager for Therapeutic Studies at the University of South Wales, UK. Judith specialises in training those who work therapeutically with young people and delivers bespoke training in the field of trauma and adverse childhood experiences. Her main research interests focus on trauma informed counselling with children and adults.

Notes

1 Level 7 qualifications in the UK are postgraduate diploma, postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), postgraduate certificate, master’s degree, for example master of arts (MA), master of science (MSc) and others; full list is available at https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels.

2 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, NHS.

3 http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/1649-pg-dip-in-counselling-children-and-young-people.

4 Art psychotherapy, Music therapy, Dramatherapy, HCPC regulated arts therapies professions in the UK.

5 For the purposes of this article, only standards relevant to art psychotherapists are included, excluding those specific to dramatherapy and music therapy.

6 First described by Freud (1915) as a process of projection of client’s unconscious thoughts onto their therapist and the therapist’s response to them, potentially in an emotionally entangled way.