For professionals in fields other than art therapy who are interested in participating our community, want to support art therapy as a profession, and wish to contribute to the art therapy community and practice. This category includes creative arts therapists (drama, music, dance), expressive arts therapists, psychologists, mental health practitioners, civil servants, medical practitioners, agencies and institutions, and people of other related professions.

Associates are non-voting members.

Benefits

• Electronic membership card

• Subscription to membership email announcements & newsletters

• Eligible to be nominated for Board of Director roles

• Volunteer on association commitees

• Free journal access to CATA-ACAT’s bi-annual Canadian Journal of Art Therapy: Research, Practice, and Issues & British Art Therapy Association’s International Journal of Art Therapy

• Reduced fees to annual CATA-ACAT conference and workshops

Annual Fee - $75 + provincial taxes

For students enrolled in a graduate art therapy program and other students who are interested in art therapy.

All students require admin approval, and must send in your proof of enrollment documentation during the application process to activate your student account. Please follow instructions provided in the Action Required email sent to you during the application process.

Students are non-voting members.

Benefits

• Electronic membership card

• Subscription to membership email announcements & newsletters

• Eligible to be nominated for Board of Director roles

• Volunteer on association committees

• Free journal access to CATA-ACAT’s bi-annual Canadian Journal of Art Therapy: Research, Practice, and Issues & British Art Therapy Association’s International Journal of Art Therapy

• Reduced fees to annual CATA-ACAT conference and workshops.

Annual Fee - $45 CAD + provincial taxes

For professional art therapists who have completed an art therapy postgraduate training that meets the education standards of CATA-ACAT. These programs and its graduates abide by the CATA-ACAT Standards of Practice. Professional members are usually receiving supervision from a RCAT Member for their professional development, growth and eventual registration.  

If you are a graduate of an approved program and applying for the first time, please click the apply now button below, and follow the instructions in the Action Required email sent to you. You must send in digital documentation for proof of graduation - a photo/scan of your completed official transcript and/or diploma - in order to complete and activate your professional membership.

If you are a current CATA-ACAT student member who have graduated, and wish to update your membership to professional membership, please send a digital copy of your completed official transcript and/or diploma to our administrative manager at admin@canadianarttherapy.org.

If you are an applicant from an international program that is eligible for your country’s art therapy association, you may inquire about your program’s eligibility with us through the Contact Us from.

If you have graduated from a program that is not recognized as meeting CATA Education standards, you may request a review of your training to determine if it meets these standards. To request a review, please complete the Education Standards matrix and send it to the CATA-ACAT Education chair at education@canadianarttherapy.org. Please translate course titles into English, as applicable.

If your training meets standards, then you are welcome to apply for Professional membership. Otherwise, please consider applying for an Associate membership.

Benefits

• Voting member (can vote on agenda items and board elections during the Annual General Meeting + other voting decisions shared with membership)

• Liability insurance at a reduced group rate

• Listed on CATA-ACAT online art therapist directory

• Electronic membership card

• Subscription to membership email announcements & newsletters

• Eligible to be nominated for Board of Director roles

• Volunteer on association committees

• Free journal access to CATA-ACAT’s bi-annual Canadian Journal of Art Therapy: Research, Practice, and Issues & British Art Therapy Association’s International Journal of Art Therapy

• Reduced fees to annual CATA-ACAT conference and workshops.

Annual Fee - $160 CAD + provincial taxes

Registered Canadian Art Therapist (RCAT)

For existing Professional members who are eligible to apply to be registered.

A successful applicant will receive the Registered Canadian Art Therapist - RCAT - post nominal designation. They have a designated registration number, certificate of registration and abide by the CATA-ACAT Standards of Practice. Registration with a professional association is increasingly being requested for employment in health practice. Registration indicates you are a Professional Member in good standing, have received additional training in your profession, received clinical supervision (50 hours for 1000 client contact hours) beyond graduation, display involvement in the art therapy community and are committed to ongoing professional development. Please see Becoming Registered section below for application details.

Benefits

• Registered Art Therapist (RCAT) designation - with your active membership (lapses/discontinuation of membership will null the designation)

• RCAT can supervise professional and student art therapists in schools in compliance with CATA-ACAT education standards

• Provide art therapy consultation

*Supervision benefits due to change as legacy phase of RCAT-S designations are completed. Existing RCAT’s are encouraged to apply for RCAT-S to continue supervision eligibility.

• Voting member (can vote on agenda items and board elections during the Annual General Meeting + other voting decisions shared with membership)

• Liability insurance at a reduced group rate

• Listed on CATA-ACAT online art therapist directory

• Electronic membership card

• Subscription to membership email announcements & newsletters

• Eligible to be nominated for Board of Director roles

• Volunteer on association committees

• Free journal access to CATA-ACAT’s bi-annual Canadian Journal of Art Therapy: Research, Practice, and Issues & British Art Therapy Association’s International Journal of Art Therapy

• Reduced fees to annual CATA-ACAT conference and workshops.

One-time application fee - $65 CAD

Annual Fee - $160 CAD (+ provincial taxes)

Becoming Registered

Applications are reviewed three times a year: September 30, January 30 and April 30.

Please read through the application requirements and frequently asked questions before beginning the application process.

NOTE: If you are facing barriers to acquiring your RCAT status, please reach out to us and we will do our best to accommodate you.

The CATA-ACAT Registered Supervisor is the designation offered to Registered Canadian Art Therapists who have substantial supervision qualifications. The RCAT-S is the required designation to provide clinical art therapy supervision of student, professional and registered art therapists. Supervisors from a CATA-ACAT recognized association may also qualify to offer art therapy supervision in Canada.

The CATA-ACAT Registered Supervisor designation allows employers, prospective employers, supervisees, and prospective supervisees to know that members with RCAT-S have met specific criteria for competency in the theories and practices of art therapy supervision.

Requirements for the RCAT-S designation supervisor application include education in supervision, endorsement by a designated supervisor, supervision experience and a professional disclosure statement.

One-time application fee - $45 CAD

Annual Fee - $160 CAD (+ provincial taxes)

For more information about this new designation and the legacy process for existing RCAT Supervisors:

Inactive members are Professional and Registered members who are taking a break for at least one year, retired, or no longer practicing art therapy or supervising art therapy in any way, but still want to be involved in the community, keep up to date through the journal and conferences, and maintain their liability insurance. Inactive members continue to abide by CATA-ACAT Standards of Practice.

Inactive membership must be requested through CATA-ACAT admin by emailing admin@canadianarttherapy.org

Benefits of Inactive Membership

• Voting member (can vote on agenda items and board elections during the Annual General Meeting + other voting decisions shared with membership)

• Can keep RCAT or RCAT-S status

• Continued use of liability insurance at a reduced group rate (indicate retired)

• Listed on CATA-ACAT online art therapist directory

• Eligible to be nominated for Board of Director roles

• Volunteer on association committees

• Electronic membership card

• Subscription to membership email announcements & newsletters

• Free journal access to CATA-ACAT’s bi-annual Canadian Journal of Art Therapy: Research, Practice, and Issues & British Art Therapy Association’s International Journal of Art Therapy

• Reduced fees to annual CATA-ACAT conference and workshops.

Annual Fee - $75.00 CAD (+ provincial taxes)