First UQ art therapy students to graduate

The first UQ Master of Mental Health (Art Therapy) students will graduate today at an 11am ceremony at the UQ Centre, Union Rd, St Lucia campus.

The new specialty is under the Psychiatry division and includes a clinical art therapy-training program.

The program is offered part-time over three years and comprises theory, art therapy workshops and supervised clinical practice in a range of mental health and community agencies.

Program Coordinator Claire Edwards said the UQ program is one of only three Art therapy Masters level degrees in Australia and is the only Queensland program.

“It is unique in Australia in being located within a school of medicine,” Ms Edwards said.

“The program is offered to meet an increasing demand for creative therapy in mental health services for children, adolescents and adults, and also in response to a growing interest in the area from potential students, who usually have a combined visual arts and social welfare or counselling background,” she said.

“Art therapists combine their clinical skills with their knowledge of art processes to design effective and creative interventions with individual clients or in therapy groups.

“The growing research base suggests that art therapy is at least as effective as other forms of psychotherapy and may be more palatable for those who are not comfortable with verbal therapies.”

One of their final assignments was to produce a number of original artworks in conjunction with a research project. These were exhibited in the Kids in Mind Management unit at the Mater Children’s Hospital.

If you are interested in the art therapy course, please contact the School of Medicine on 07 3365 5278 or enquiries@som.uq.edu.au.
Media: For more information, contact Claire Edwards or Elizabeth Kerr at UQ Communications (07 3365 2339).
Hi-res photos are available.