THIS POST INCLUDES:
- Introduction
- Art Therapy organisations, associations and community groups
- The benefits of joining an association
- FREE Summary Evernote note
INTRODUCTION
Most industries have associations and organisations that provide benefits to its members through networking, education, training, public advocacy and general professional development. Art Therapy Associations can benefit Art Therapists with these same benefits, along with other psychology associations.
Below is a list of 10 association/organisations in alphabetical order. Only a few are specifically related to the field of Art Therapy, however, others relate to psychology and counselling which form the basis of an Art Therapists skillset. The list is Australian based, with the exception of the American Art Therapy Association which also provides benefits for international members.
ART THERAPY ASSOCIATION LINKS
- American Art Therapy Association
- Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
- Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA)
- Australian Community Counselling Association (ACCA)
- Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
- Australian Counselling
- Australian Psychological Society (APS)
- Australian Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (ARCAP)
- Australian, New Zealand & Asian Creative Arts Therapy Association
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
BENEFITS OF JOINING A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
If you’re not sure why joining a professional association can benefit you, we’ve included some of the most important benefits below:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Guidance on establishing a career path.
- Educational requirements to become a professional.
- Guidance on the profession’s standards of practice.
- Updates on development in the profession and changes in practice affected by legislation.
- Continuing education in person or online.
- Provides an avenue to be involved in the direction of your profession.
- May provide research or presentation opportunities that you are interested in.
- Free advice on ethical issues.
NETWORKING
- Build relationships with other therapists.
- Develop mentor and mentee relationships.
- Establish working relationships for collaboration on projects.
BUSINESS BENEFITS
- Structured fee system based on your level of membership, eg. Student, fellow, standard.
- Free resources to use in establishing your therapy practice policies.
- Free directory listing to advertise your business to consumers.
- Liability insurance at a discounted rate.
- Job Vacancy services
MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY
- Promote and advocate for your profession.
- Increase awareness of your profession and the services it offers in the community.
- Volunteering opportunities for community service
DOWNLOAD:
You can download a summary of this post in this Evernote document. You can save this note to your own Evernote account for future reference. If you don’t have an Evernote account, you can still view the Evernote document even if you do not use Evernote.
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