Welcome to the Art Therapy Credentials Board, Inc.!

Thank you for visiting the official Web site of the Art Therapy Credentials Board, Inc.  Our mission is “to protect the public through the competent and ethical practice of art therapy.”  We accomplish this through a rigorous, two-tiered credentialing process.  

Our first-tier credential is the Registered Art Therapist (ATR) which requires specific graduate-level education in art therapy plus the documentation of post graduate, supervised hours of clinical experience. An ATR may then apply for Board Certification (ATR-BC) where he/she is required to demonstrate broad-based knowledge of the theories and therapeutic skills used in the field by passing a national examination.  The ATCB, Inc. requires all credential holders to adhere to the ATCB Code of Professional Practice that sets the parameters of ethical practice.  Information regarding  the profession, ATCB credentials, and the Code of Professional Practice are found in the links in the left column of this home page.

New on the site are an updated Preparation Guide to the Art Therapy Credentials Board Examination (the ATCBE) and everything an ATCB credential holder will need to participate in our 2008 election process (note that mail ballots must be post marked no later than September 22nd).  This information is found in the “News” column on the right of this message.

We would also like to draw attention to the annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) – this year held in Cleveland, Ohio.  This event offers an opportunity for art therapists to network and learn about new trends in the profession.  It is also an opportunity for our ATR-BCs to earn continuing education credits required for recertification.  For more information on the AATA conference, please use the link to AATA found at the bottom of the left column.

We hope you will find the Web site useful - whether you are a student learning more about art therapy, an applicant who needs guidelines and forms, a credential holder learning about what’s new at the ATCB, or a member of the public interested in learning more about the profession.  If you are an Internet Explorer user and experience difficulty navigating the site – please let our national office know the particulars of your problem – you may also experience better navigation by using Mozilla Firefox which can be obtained at www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ .

Thank you,

Terry Towne, ATR-BC
President