Definitions to Understand

• Supervised art therapy experience must involve providing face-to-face art therapy services with clients and other matters directly related to treating clients in a setting that is clearly designated to provide opportunities for clinical treatment through art therapy as defined in 24 Del C. § 3061 and 3062.

• Direct supervised experience means face-to-face consultation, on a regularly scheduled basis between a supervisee and a Licensed Professional Art Therapist (LPAT) or other Board-approved behavioral health professional.

• The Board-approved supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the extent, kind, and quality of the services rendered are consistent with the supervisee’s education, training, and experience and must:
  • be a Professional Art Therapist licensed in any jurisdiction (state, U.S. territory, District or Columbia) OR
  • be a person who holds either the Registered and Board Certified Art Therapist or the Art Therapy Certified Supervisor credential from the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) AND
  • have no more than ten supervisees at a time.

Post-Masters Art Therapy Experience Requirements

For information about the experience requirements, see Section 7.3 of the Board’s Rules and Regulations

When applying for licensed Associate Art Therapist (LAAT), you must provide a written plan for acquiring the experience required in the Board’s Rules and Regulations. Your proposed supervisor must sign the plan.

Requirements for Supervision by an Individual NOT Listed Above

• The Board may approve other licensed behavioral health professionals, such as licensed marriage and family therapists, professional counselors of mental health, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, physicians, and advanced practice registered nurses with a specialty or expertise in a clinical competency essential to your training.

• If your proposed supervisor is not licensed by the Delaware Board of Professional Counselors of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals, the proposed supervisor must:
  • have practiced at least two years post-licensure
  • not have received any disciplinary actions
  • provide an official verification of professional licensure for each jurisdiction
  • attest that he or she…
    • has read and is familiar with the Delaware licensure requirements, including the applicable statutes, rules and regulations
    • has the training to provide clinical supervision

Breakdown of Hours of Art Therapy Experience Under Direct Supervision

You must provide verification that you have completed a total of at least 1,600 hours of post-Masters art therapy experience while under the direct supervision of one or more approved clinical supervisors. You are permitted to have more than one supervisor.

• At least 1,500 of the 1,600 hours must be actual face-to-face direct art therapy services. Of the 1,500 hours, at least 750 hours must be individual face-to-face client sessions and must include providing direct art therapy services. The other 750 hours may be individual, group, couple or family art therapy services or some combination of those services.

• At least 100 of the 1,600 hours must be face-to-face professional direct supervision with your supervisor. Face-to-face supervision includes both in-person and live video conferencing providing supervision by live video conferencing does not exceed 50 hours.
  • Individual direct supervision must consist of one-to-one, face-to-face meetings between you and your supervisor. All 100 hours may be individual supervision.
• • Group supervision must consist of face-to-face meetings between you and your supervisor with no more than six supervisees. You may apply no more than 40 hours of group supervision towards the 100 hours of direct supervision.

You must complete all of the required hours in a period of not less than two but no more than four years.

Art Therapy Experience NOT Under Direct Supervision

Art therapy experience hours not completed under the supervision of an individual who meets the acceptable or proposed supervisor requirements above will count only toward 1,600 hours of unsupervised experience and not toward the required 1,500 hours of supervised experience.