Bachelor of Arts Therapy

ARTS101 Qualities of Art Making and Media 

This subject extends the focus on subjective lived experience, covered in Foundations of Arts Psychotherapy, to encompass an exploration of the lived experience of ‘being with’ art, art-making and art media. Within this subject, students are introduced to the history of art in healing and will undertake research into tribal, religious and secular traditions. Through interactive lectures and experiential learning, students will explore questions such as: What is art? What are art materials/media? What happens during the art-making process?  

Students will investigate a range of media with an emphasis on experiencing their different qualities and the physical and emotional responses they elicit. This highly experiential subject will emphasise the collaboration between the art-maker and media (as an active participant) in the creative process. It is this relationship between the art-maker and the media that allows the artwork (image, sculpture, installation) to emerge.  

Historically art therapy has focused on the exploration of the product of the art-making process—the completed art representation. Through the focus on embodied knowing, and the intersubjective relationship with the art media, particularly through the sensation of touch, students will explore how new knowing can emerge.  

PSYC801 Integrative Systems of Health and Wellbeing 

This subject focuses on developing competence in understanding and integrating contemporary and classical views on the nature of health and wellbeing and draws upon current debates and practices concerned with the complex mind-body relationship, consciousness and states of consciousness and therapeutic interventions within psychotherapy, medicine, psychiatry, neurosciences and ethnomedicine. In addition, these elements of an integrative approach are supported and expanded by critical, analytical perspectives on culture, social and political structures and dynamics in the definition of health and wellbeing and systems of intervention. 

ARTS102 Dimensional Modalities in Arts Therapy 

In this subject, students will acquire and develop a range of specific 2D and 3D visual art skills. They will come to understand art materials as a therapeutic modality and practice in assessing the inherent qualities of the media.  

Students will also practice self-reflection when being with another person in the art-making process. They will come to understand the power of witnessing, holding space and withholding comments/judgement, while developing metacognition in the witnessing process.   

Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the qualities that art materials possess and learn to work with appropriate art materials in particular contexts.  Students will learn relevant underpinning materials theory and explore how intersubjectivity relates to client experiences of materials in arts psychotherapy. 

ARTS103 Expressive Modalities in Arts Therapy 

This subject introduces students to working with various expressive modalities including play, drama, movement, music, voice, storytelling and sand-play. Students are encouraged to consider their experiences engaging with these modalities and conceptualise how they may be used to explore and achieve therapeutic goals. 

PSYC802 Integrative Psychotherapy in Practice 1 

In this subject students will be introduced to the fundamental theory and practice that underlies effective psychotherapeutic practice.  Students will be encouraged to reflect on the role of psychotherapy in society.   They will reflect on their own acculturation and the ways in which this might influence their practice.  Students will be introduced to the notion of relationality, and explore why it is foundational to the therapeutic change process.  

At a practical level, students will witness demonstrations of certain key therapeutic skills essential to effective psychotherapy, and also engage in exercises designed to develop these basic skills. In addition to a strong emphasis on skills-based learning this subject will focus on the areas such as: therapeutic relationship building, communication, empathy and transference / counter-transference issues. 

ARTS104 Art Therapy Inter-modal Approach 

This subject will introduce students to the application of an inter-modal approach to Arts Psychotherapy, including the advantages and challenges of this approach. Inter-modal arts Psychotherapy is the practice of using imagery, storytelling, dance, music, drama, poetry, movement, horticulture/nature, dreamwork, and visual arts together, in an integrated way, to foster human growth, development, and healing. Building on their knowledge of the multi-sensory body, students will learn to attune to their senses of touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing as the foundation of an inter-modal approach in which the therapist and client move freely between different modalities. Students will be introduced to the application of a range of creative arts in an improvisational way in the form of a self-inquiry. Additionally, students will learn to apply a range of creative arts therapy techniques and processes including horizontalisation, amplification, reduction, and providing creative responses within this inter-modal approach.  

SOSC801 Ethics and Politics in Psychotherapy  

This subject has as its focus the knowledge and skills required to practice as a psychotherapist within the designated professional ethical, legal and professional standards as set down by the peak accrediting bodies within the field of psychotherapy/arts psychotherapy. The subject requires the student to examine their own personal values and belief systems as a foundation for the development of professional ethical practice.  

The ethical, political and legal context of psychotherapeutic practice will be explored through case studies, professional situations and duty of care issues in contemporary therapy practice. There is emphasis on the personal and professional competencies and attributes required to practice ethically and legally as a therapist including self-reflection of the practitioner’s own values. Skill development includes understanding of how to work with confidentiality, informed consent, themes of power, and practice boundaries. 

SOSC804 Foundations of Scholarly Practice  

This subject explores with students the foundations of scholarly practice in higher education and its role in supporting a humanistic liberal arts education.  Students will develop an understanding of how scholarly practice contributes to the development and organization of self and mind. The subject introduces, places into context, and develops skills in listening and speaking; reading and writing; reasoning, argumentation, and communication; the schematics of thought; reflective and reflexive thinking; metacognition and the development of self; communication and community; and the scientific method; and explanation of international and Australian trends to enable successful engagement in scholarly practice as a higher education student.  

Creativity and Mental Health

This subject will summarise the foundations for creativity as integral to healthy connections with self, others and the world. In this subject students will explore the theory and application of the developmental role of creativity in the first relationships humans experience. Students will also explore how this contributes to the spectrum of mental health throughout the lifespan as we focus on the disruption of this developmental process, or developmental trauma.

Using their lived experience, students will investigate the significance of boundaries, regulation and meaning making. We will then consider how these experiences and knowledge informs an intermodal Arts Therapy context.

Arts Psychotherapy in Practice: Groups

During this subject, students will develop an understanding of the theory and practical skills necessary to begin facilitating arts psychotherapy group work. The subject will introduce students to the curative factors of groups as well as group development and facilitation theories. This subject is highly skills-based and students will have the opportunity to plan and practice their group facilitation skills and gain feedback from group members. Students will engage in a range of creative group processes and will use these experiences to reflect upon and articulate their own therapeutic approach to groupwork.

Please select “Electives” above below for available Elective subjects. Elective selection can differ depending on availability.

Understanding Systems in Psychotherapy

This subject will take a systems lens to psychotherapy focusing on the person: environment approach. Students will be introduced to General Systems Theory (GST) as the foundation for understanding
the different systems that impact an individual’s wellbeing. The exploration of a systems approach will be undertaken within the philosophy of phenomenology. This subject will build on the knowledge of groups already covered in the course and provide a bridge between the introductory subject of Integrated Systems of Health and Wellbeing and the Eco-psychotherapy subject.

Students will be introduced to the historical, as well as the contemporary, understanding and application of systems approaches in psychotherapy. The subject will commence with an exploration of broad eco-systems approach and move through a range of systems such as social/cultural/political systems, community/neighbourhood/tribal systems, family systems, couple systems and finally link to the earlier subject on individual psychobiological systems. The subject will focus on developing theoretical understanding and an application of a systems approach to psychotherapy practice.

Life Span Development

This subject explores the complex topic of human development as it pertains to psychological practice. The subject will explore development from a multidisciplinary perspective examining evolutionary biology, cultural evolution, embryology, attachment, psychology of temperament, classical developmental models such as those put forward by Erikson and Piaget as well as this, the subject will explore post biographical aspects of development exploring the work of Daniel P Brown and Ken Wilber to offer insight into the development of the human mind as outlined in eastern approaches and practices. The subject concludes with examination of the future of human development focusing upon topics of the individual, the collective and issues pertaining to extension.

Clinical Supervision 1

As practicum subjects prepare students with placements that parallel the clinical situations they are likely to encounter in their professional lives, it is crucial that students fully understand the role of supervision and engage with the process. Supervision will provide a safe, supportive space for students to critically reflect on their practice in light of the skills and knowledge covered in the course. There is a strong emphasis on students establishing effective self-care techniques into their practice.

Practicum 1 (120 hours) 

Supervised therapeutic work with clients as a ‘therapist in training’ is an essential part of the Bachelor of Arts Therapy. The Practicum subjects are delivered sequentially, within one placement setting, alongside the Clinical Supervision subject in the last trimester of second year. This will enable students to immerse themselves in their practice experience and develop safe and professional practice within a placement setting. A dedicated Placement Team will support students throughout their placement experience. Placement opportunities will be drawn from a variety of settings, including the opportunity for students to work with adults, children and groups.

Practicum 2 (120 hours) 

Supervised therapeutic work with clients as a ‘therapist in training’ is an essential part of the Bachelor of Arts Therapy. The Practicum subjects are delivered sequentially, within one placement setting, alongside the Clinical Supervision subject in the last trimester of second year. This will enable students to immerse themselves in their practice experience and develop safe and professional practice within a placement setting. A dedicated Placement Team will support students throughout their placement experience. Placement opportunities will be drawn from a variety of settings, including the opportunity for students to work with adults, children and groups.

Please select “Electives” above below for available Elective subjects. Elective selection can differ depending on availability.

Introduction to Research Methods

The best way to learn how to do research is to do research.

The goal of this subject is to introduce students to the research process—identifying a study question, selecting a study approach, designing a study and collecting data, analysing the data, and reporting the findings.

Clinical Supervision 2

As practicum subjects prepare students with placements that parallel the clinical situations they are likely to encounter in their professional lives, it is crucial that students fully understand the role of supervision and engage with the process. Supervision will provide a safe, supportive space for students to critically reflect on their practice in light of the skills and knowledge covered in the course. There is a strong emphasis on students establishing effective self-care techniques into their practice.

Practicum 3 (120 hours) 

Supervised therapeutic work with clients as a ‘therapist in training’ is an essential part of the Bachelor of Arts Therapy. The Practicum subjects are delivered sequentially, within one placement setting, alongside the Clinical Supervision subject in the last trimester of second year. This will enable students to immerse themselves in their practice experience and develop safe and professional practice within a placement setting. A dedicated Placement Team will support students throughout their placement experience. Placement opportunities will be drawn from a variety of settings, including the opportunity for students to work with adults, children and groups.

Practicum 4 (120 hours) 

Supervised therapeutic work with clients as a ‘therapist in training’ is an essential part of the Bachelor of Arts Therapy. The Practicum subjects are delivered sequentially, within one placement setting, alongside the Clinical Supervision subject in the last trimester of second year. This will enable students to immerse themselves in their practice experience and develop safe and professional practice within a placement setting. A dedicated Placement Team will support students throughout their placement experience. Placement opportunities will be drawn from a variety of settings, including the opportunity for students to work with adults, children and groups.

Introduction to Dance Movement Therapy

This subject provides an overview of the foundational concepts and practices of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), which is understood as the relational and therapeutic use of dance and movement to further the physical, emotional, cognitive, social and cultural functioning of a person (www.dtaa.org.au).

In common with other arts therapies modalities, DMT focuses on individual expressivity within therapeutic practice. It draws on the use of a range of theoretical premises from psychology and psychotherapy to support this. DMT differs from other arts modalities in that it uses the body as the prime instrument of creative expression, with dance and movement its main medium. DMT practice is centred on the essentialness of dance, aesthetics and the body-mind-feeling framework for better understanding of human health and wellbeing. It works to establish and develop therapeutic relationship through additional concepts that include kinaesthetic empathy, presence, attunement, witnessing and intersubjectivity.

Students will engage primarily in experiential learning to explore these core theoretical underpinnings and related embodied therapeutic processes. They will develop an awareness of themselves as embodied beings through engagement in improvised movement, the principal dance modality of DMT.

Introduction to Voice and Sound Therapy

Sound therapy is a relatively new healing technique that employs the vibrations of the human voice to go beyond relaxation and foster healing. This subject will prepare students to understand the history, foundations, and some of the key concepts of voice and sound therapy. Some sound therapists use external instruments, such as tuning forks or singing bowls. However, there is no tool more powerful for healing than the human voice. Students will engage in experiential work to explore how to free the voice and use it to fully express themselves in all aspects of their life. Through sound therapy, you just might be able to find the authority of your own true voice – and self.

Psychotherapy with Young People

This subject has as its focus the knowledge and skills required to apply psychotherapy/arts psychotherapy to working with young people. The subject requires the student to develop an understanding of child and adolescent development, concerns facing young people in today’s society, common issues that young people may bring to therapy, best practice engagement strategies for working with young people in a therapeutic context and processes in working with this specific population group. This subject provides students with the opportunity to understand how art-based engagement activities can be used to effectively build rapport and positive therapeutic relationships with young people.

There is also an emphasis on the personal and professional competencies and attributes required to work effectively with children and young people. Skill development also includes understanding of how to work with relevant legislation, confidentiality, informed consent and duty of care with children and young people under the age of 18, and also how to effectively engage families, parents and caregivers in therapeutic process.

Psychotherapy with People with Addictive Behaviours

This subject has as its focus on the knowledge and skills required to apply psychotherapy/arts psychotherapy to working with addictive behaviours. The subject will support students to understand what constitutes addiction, with a focus on both substance and behavioural addictions.

This subject enables students to develop a holistic understanding of addiction incorporating biological, psychological, emotional and spiritual dimensions. Additionally, students will be introduced to the predisposing, precipitating and perpetuation factors which may be contributing to the emergence and maintenance of addiction, the Stages of Change process, and the micro (individual and family) and macro (community, societal, legal and systemic) factors which can impact on working with clients’ lived experience of addiction. The subject requires the student to develop an understanding of, best practice engagement strategies for working with addictive behaviours in a therapeutic context. There is also emphasis on the personal and professional competencies and attributes required to work effectively with addictive behaviours. Skill development also includes understanding how to work with relevant legislation to ensure that Duty of Care obligations are being upheld and to work with carers, families and other service providers to ensure quality therapeutic engagement.

Psychotherapy with People with Disabilities

In this subject, students will acquire knowledge and skills for working with and alongside people with disability within psychotherapeutic / arts psychotherapeutic contexts.

Students will explore how the diverse, complex experiences of people with disability can be understood from multiple perspectives, and how their stories are told and re-told in different settings and in a variety of ways. Such acts of telling and retelling can be healing experiences, political expressions (‘the personal is political’), and/or instruments for social action and change.

This subject addresses the personal and professional competencies and attributes required to work effectively with children, adolescents and adults with disability. They include understanding how to work with relevant legislation; the complexities of interdisciplinary team work; ethical professional client-centred writing; and engaging with families, parents and caregivers in the therapeutic process.

Eco-Psychotherapy

This subject will introduce students to the emerging field of eco-psychotherapy – exploring both theory and practice.

The subject will be run as a five-day experiential intensive, with one half-day session in the weeks before the intensive, and one half-day session in the weeks following the intensive.

Art and Social Change

In this subject students will explore the interplay between community arts, outsider arts, arts and health and Arts Therapy.

Students will examine the motives, benefits and disadvantages of politically and socially challenging forms of artistic expression such as graffiti, tattoos and comics. Throughout this subject there with be a strong focus on students developing cultural, psychosocial and disability awareness and exploring how they react personally to themes of diversity.

Indigenous Approaches to Wellbeing 

In Australia we are living in a land that is suffused by the rich cultural traditions of indigenous people whose sense of wellbeing is inexorably linked to the wellbeing of country. Indigenous approaches to wellbeing are holistic incorporating physical, social, emotional and cultural health of both individuals, the broader community and the country itself. Local aboriginal elders will be involved in the teaching of this subject and assist students to explore the political and personal implications of incorporating this holistic understanding of health and wellbeing into their personal life and therapeutic work.

Dreams and Symbols in Psychotherapy

This subject is concerned with developing an understanding of the symbol and dream producing resources of the human psyche. In particular, the subject focuses on the capacity of the dreaming function to access and mobilise resource systems to engage with problem solving, stress reduction, knowledge and understanding, change management and psychological development. The unit explores experiences gained in the dreaming, liminal, conscious imaging and metaphor states of consciousness. Skill development is directed towards using various methods to access this domain, including Jungian, Gestalt, shamanic and archetypal processes, in both individual and group settings. These methods are developed as part of an integrative psychotherapeutic skill set.

Eastern Practice and Western Psychology

This subject will develop the themes of growing up and waking up. The subject runs in a intensive format following a structured program of personal reflection, practice and lectures. The subject explores themes of organization of mind through understanding the research and practices that help facilitate individual organisation of mind. This subject will begin by addressing early developmental factors in the formation of mind and move to include transpersonal psychology and eastern philosophy and practices.

Integrative Systems of Health and Wellbeing 2

This subject focuses on deepening competence and understanding in the topics of health and wellbeing as they pertain to psychotherapy. This subject follows on from Health and Wellbeing one, which explored the nature of health and wellbeing and various debates in the field. In health and well being two, students will focus on the mind-body relationship problem as outlined in contemporary inter-disciplinary thinking and research, focusing particularly on how the mind-body problem influences psychological treatment.

Students will explore bottom-up movement-based practices in conjunction with top-down meditative practices as a key to their experiential learning. In addition, these elements of an integrative approach are supported and expanded upon by critical, analytical perspectives on culture, social and political structures and dynamics in thinking about health and wellbeing, and various systems of intervention in psychotherapeutic practice.