La profession d’art thérapeute : étude préliminaire prospective

Abstract

Whether it is called “mediation therapy” or even “expression wokshop”, art therapy is today used in most types of treatment. Those who practise it come from a wide range of professional backgrounds with a variety of skills which may be disconcerting for other health professionals and administrative officers. The absence of an official state qualification and legal recognition reinforces this vagueness despite its popularity. Using the first French directory of “Art and Psy” practitioners as a support, the authors have carried out a quantative-qualitative analysis of its content. By means of a set of standardized variables (sex, reference, occupation, region, place of training, additional teaching, publishing and research), two typologies have been individualized: the non art therapy practitioner and the art therapy practitioner. Both are commented on while stressing the need to: have specific information on this occupation; organize basic training in line with anglo-saxon standards; think about the legalization of this occupation; develop theoritico-clinical works of scientific quality.