Registered Canadian Art Therapist - Supervisor (RCAT-S)

CATA-ACAT Clinical Art Therapy Supervision Standards Policy and Application

RCAT refers to the status of Registered membership with the Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA-ACAT) and the Registered Canadian Art Therapist (RCAT) designation. Previously, the RCAT designation was required to supervise student and professional art therapists. CATA-ACAT is implementing a new designation of RCAT-Supervisor (RCAT-S), to be in alignment with regulatory bodies and national counselling and therapy associations. It is also intended to safeguard the ethics of supervision. As of June 1, 2027, the RCAT-S is the required designation to provide supervision for student, professional and registered art therapists. 

Between June 1, 2025 and April 30, 2027, a legacy phase will allow existing RCAT members who want to practice supervision to apply for RCAT-S through a modified application. Up until May 31, 2027, students and professionals can continue to receive supervision from a member with the RCAT designation. For professional members who apply for RCAT on or before April 30, 2029, they will be able to count supervision hours by an RCAT member that were accrued until May 31, 2027. Any supervision hours accrued after May 31, 2027 must be provided by an RCAT-S.

Refer to details in the Legacy Application Process outlined below.

What is a CATA-ACAT Registered Supervisor (RCAT-S)?

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-Supervisor designation include education in supervision and anti-oppressive practices, endorsement by another supervisor and proof of $5 million professional liability.

Who can apply for RCAT-Supervisor Designation?

As of June 1, 2027, all supervision must be facilitated by an RCAT-Supervisor. To ensure continuity of practice, existing RCAT members must apply through the legacy phase by April 30th, 2027 to be able to continue offering supervision as of June 1, 2027 under their new designation of RCAT-S.

  1. Be a Registered member (RCAT) in good standing of CATA-ACAT or a CATA-ACAT recognized association whose members practice art therapy.

  2. Have a minimum five (5) years of professional art therapy experience.

  3. Completed 30 hours of directed learning in clinical art therapy supervision. 

    a. Directed learning can include coursework, professional development workshops, supervised practice as a clinical supervisor, individual/peer/group learning, and/or independent study that includes structured readings. 

    Completed a minimum of 10 hours in cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion training; anti-oppressive, anti-colonial, and/or anti-racist training, participation and/or knowledge-building within the community(s) they are serving. 

  4. Verify that they hold professional liability insurance for at least $5,000,000 for the additional supervisee caseload. 

  5. Provide documented proof of clinical art therapy supervision with a CATA-ACAT supervisor as requested by CATA-ACAT on an audit basis or when renewing their annual membership.

  6. Supervisors must notify CATA-ACAT when they no longer engage in clinical art therapy supervision or no longer meet the CATA-ACAT Supervisor requirements.

  7. Complete and submit the application form along with all supporting documentation (letter of recommendation, resume and certificates as required); and

  8. Pay application fee of $60

What is Supervision? 

Clinical Art Therapy Supervision is a key aspect in the professional and personal growth of an art therapist. If you are a member taking on the role of a clinical supervisor, you are identifying a willingness to support the development of other professionals, and students who practice art therapy.

Clinical Art Therapy Supervision is an ongoing contractual, mutually agreed upon relationship in which a clinical art therapist supervisor engages with a supervisee to:

  • Promote the professional growth of the supervisee;

  • Enhance the supervisee’s safe and effective use of self in the therapeutic relationship including self-reflexive and anti-oppressive practices; practice responsibility and accountability; transferences; treatment, self-care or support plans; conflict resolution and other issues that arise;

  • Discuss the direction of art therapy, and art-making sessions for the benefit of the participants’ well-being;

  • Safeguard the welfare of the people supported by the supervisee; and/or

  • Train to become a supervisor

  • Uphold the ethical standards of the profession

Clinical Art Therapy Supervision may take the form of individual, dyadic, small group or large group. It may take place face-to-face, or online on a secure video platform. It differs from consultation, which is accessed as needed to debrief a complex case or work situation; and does not involve ongoing oversight by the supervisor.

The RCAT-Supervisor may be responsible for providing supervision to students, professionals and/or RCAT members. 

Supervision can take multiple forms. The following are approved structures:

Individual Supervision is formal, structured, and is facilitated by an RCAT-S. This includes one supervisee and one supervisor.

Dyad Supervision is formal, structured, and is facilitated by an RCAT-S. This includes two supervisees and one supervisor.

Group Supervision is formal, structured, and includes at least one facilitator who is RCAT-S. Groups can range from 3-8 supervisees plus the RCAT-S.

These are the forms of supervision that are eligible for students working towards their art therapy credential; and for professional members working towards their RCAT designation.

Responsibilities of the RCAT-S

Once a member receives the designation of RCAT-S, they will be required to maintain the following:

  • $5 million professional liability that covers supervisees

  • Maintain a commitment to professional development and supervision for supervisors:  supervisors will be required to submit every three years documentation of 12 hours of supervision for supervisors or professional development that is specific to supervision. This may include: supervision for supervisors; professional development workshops, peer supervision and/or self-directed readings. 

  • Demonstrate a commitment to cultural awareness and humility in art therapy supervision practice: supervisors will be required to submit every three years documentation of 9 hours in diversity, equity and inclusion training; anti-oppressive, anti-colonial, and/or anti-racist training, participation and/or knowledge-building within the community(s) they are serving. 

  • On an audit basis, provide documented proof of clinical art therapy supervision with a CATA-ACAT supervisor as requested by CATA-ACAT. 

  • Notify CATA-ACAT when they no longer engage in clinical art therapy supervision or no longer meet the CATA-ACAT Supervisor requirements.

Legacy Application Process

Since the existing RCAT designation currently permits supervision of students and professionals, there will be a two-year legacy phase to allow existing RCAT members to upgrade their designation to RCAT-S. The intention of this legacy phase is to avoid disruption of existing supervision for students and professionals and to allow time for current professional members to work towards the requirements of the RCAT-S designation.

June 1, 2025 to April 30, 2027

During the legacy phase, the application fee will be at a reduced cost of $45 for RCAT members who want to apply for the RCAT-S designation. Members with their RCAT status can apply for the RCAT-S designation with the following requirements:

  • Be a Registered member (RCAT) in good standing of CATA-ACAT for a minimum of six months

  • Have a minimum of five years of professional art therapy experience.

  • Share information about your training and experience as a supervisor. This is an opportunity to inform the CATA-ACAT Registrar about the various pathways to becoming a competent art therapy supervisor. 

    • Provide details regarding coursework, professional development workshops, supervised practice as a clinical supervisor, individual/peer/group learning, and/or independent study that includes structured readings.

    • Experience and training could be relevant to both art therapy and approaches to supervision from other related professions (such as Indigenous approaches or talk-therapy supervision)

  • Share information about your training and experience in cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion training; anti-oppressive, anti-colonial, and/or anti-racist training, participation and/or knowledge-building within the community(s) they are serving. 

  • Articulate your theoretical approach to art therapy supervision. 

  • Outline your supervision scope of practice: students, professionals, supervisors; group, dyadic and individual; scope of art therapy practices being supervised

  • Verify professional liability insurance for at least $5,000,000 for the additional supervisee caseload. 

  • Provide one reference of recommendation

  • Provide an updated resume/CV

Legacy Application:

The application form will be available starting June 1, 2025.

For questions and/or support regarding the legacy phase and/or the RCAT-S application process please contact Nicole Le Bihan governance@canadianarttherapy.org or the CATA-ACAT Registrar Marie Muggeridge at registration@canadianarttherapy.org