Postgraduate program Art Therapy

Theoretical Basics

Prof. Torsten Hoke
Dipl.-Psych. Katja Pieper
Prof. Dr. Ralf T. Vogel
Prof. Dr. Marc Schipper
Prof. Dr. Christian Widdascheck
Prof.in Dr. Alexandra Hopf

Methods of Art Therapy

Dr.in Marianne Eberhardt-Kaechele
Prof.in Klara Schattmayer-Bolle
Dr. Marianne Eberhardt-Kächele
Michael Ganß
Prof. Thomas Staroszynski
Prof.in Kerstin Hof
Prof.in Dr. Alexandra Hopf
Kerstin Schrems
Lisa-Maria Kraus

Research and Practice in Art Therapy

Prof.in Dr. Alexandra Hopf (Artistic and Practise Research)
Prof. Dr. Tobias Loemke (Artistic Research)
Kerstin Schrems (Art Therapy Internship)

Fields of Practice

Simon Bosch (Queere Identität)
Freya Neumann (Suchterkrankte Jugendliche)
Juliana Ortiz (Pädiatrische Onkologie)
Stefanie Tappe (Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie)

Supervision

Hedda Spürck-Wagner
Prof.in Marielle Renz
Kerstin Schrems

The Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden has been offering the postgraduate programme of Art Therapy since 1996. The focus of teaching is on the parallels, differences and synergies between artistic and therapeutic processes. The programme regularly organises conferences and conventions, publishes specialist publications and cooperates with clinics, educational institutions and museums at various levels.

Well-known guest lecturers deepen the broad spectrum of art-therapeutic methods from psychodynamic to systemic orientation with interdisciplinary and inter-cultural approaches as well as an emphasis on non-verbal aspects. A study group of about 20 students ensures a very personal exchange during the two-year study programme.

In the postgraduate programme, free and applied artists get the opportunity to integrate their own artistic experience into the therapeutic process and to learn the therapeutic methods necessary for this: the knowledge of mental states and psychological-medical knowledge are necessary prerequisites for responsible and careful therapeutic work. Female artists are accustomed to creating personal images and overcoming experiences of crises and blockades; at the same time, they are aware of the happiness that creative work can generate.

During seminars, self-perception and perception of others are taught in a differentiated manner through the high self-awareness component of the seminars. Basics of developmental psychology, clinical psychology and psychosomatics give students an insight into different therapeutic schools and handling of different clinical pictures. The training also focusses on the analysis of aesthetic expression. Course-accompanying internships, full-time internships as well as project internships during the semester break make it possible to directly test methodological knowledge. One's own art-therapeutic attitude and the analysis of practical experiences are a subject of supervision. These basics enable artists to develop their own art-therapeutic self-understanding.

The postgraduate programme of Art Therapy begins in all even years as a four-semester, full-time course with approximately 30 hours per week per semester.

The course content is divided into consecutive modules. The methodological and theoretical components of the course are supplemented by min. 660 hours of continuously supervised internships. The courses contain varying levels of self-awareness components. A course-accompanying teaching therapy/self-therapy is recommended.

Theoretical Basics

Modules 1 – 3

• Developmental psychology and personality training
• Psychology and development of artistic design
• Clinical psychology: salutogenetic approach, projective methods, therapeutic schools
• Psychopathology: Psychiatry and psychosomatics
• Ethical, image-theoretical and historical basics

Methods of Art Therapy

Modules 4 – 6

• General Methodology: Design analysis, basic art-therapeutic behaviour (counselling techniques, group processes, transference phenomena), impact factors, indications, (artistic) interventions
• Specific methodology: special art-therapeutic methods, (form-analytical, phenomenological, depth psychological, systemic), interdisciplinary forms of therapy; emphasis on non-verbal aspects
• Art-therapeutic interventions and non-verbal aspects
• Interdisciplinary creative therapeutic approaches

Artistic focus

Module 7

• Artistic reflection: synergy/convergences and divergences
• Consolidation of one's own artistic-therapeutic standpoint
• Art in the social and scientific context
• Exhibition, topic-oriented presentation
   

Research and Practice in Art Therapy

Modules 8 – 10

• Art-therapeutic research approaches and research work
• Practice and case documentation
• Supervision: expert supervision and coaching
• Fields of practice: specific fields of work, client groups and institutions; art therapy as an integrative professional field, aspects of the occupational profile
• Internships: course-accompanying, full-time, project work
   

Module 11 Internships

Semester-long, project and block internships
 

Module 12 Diploma thesis

Independent scientific work on a topic relevant to art therapy