Art Psychotherapy training fees

Aim: I am raising money to study MA Art Psychotherapy, this September, at Goldsmiths, University of London. The fees are £22,500 total.

I am raising money to cover my tuition fees for this academic year, at Goldsmiths, UoL, to study MA Art Psychotherapy!

What is Art therapy, I hear you ask? A bunch of kids colouring..?

• Art Psychotherapy/Therapy is a protected label, and practising art therapists are registered with professional bodies, ensuring standard of practice, and are valued within the NHS.

• Art Therapy activates creativity as a way to help someone express and make sense of difficult emotions. It can be especially useful for people who are struggling to articulate themselves - from mental health struggles, trauma, developmental issues, or neurodivergence - due to the universal nature of art making. 

• Art Psychotherapy is also often done in group settings, allowing peer-peer support for relationship and community building. It varies widely in its uses, from theatre making with people with dementia, to art creation with those who need help expressing themselves.

• I find it one of the most accessible types of therapy, which I hope to use to reach more marginalised communities. Specifically, members of the LGBTQ+ community (which I find joy in being part of!) to overcome various struggles, whether it be shame, depression, gender dysphoria, or other challenges which can be symptoms of systemic oppression. I am always developing an intersectional and systemic approach to working with individual unique people, and feel this will make me an even stronger Art Therapist. 

Want to see Art Therapy in action

• An Art Therapy client navigating Disordered Eating
• Claire reflects on her experience with Art Therapy and emotional dysregulation
• Key evidence of the effectiveness of Art Therapy

Why am I doing this?

• Throughout my life I've been looking for a way to combine my skills with purpose, to positively affect people and society. 

• With growing oppression and right-wing movements increasing globally; trans rights and lives are being threatened, racist violence is increasing, people seeking asylum are under risk, disability cuts are looming, climate devastation is ignored, rampant violence against women, girls, non binary and trans woman, toxic masculinity continues to effect male mental health: it's easy to lose hope. I believe that action is the antidote to despair, and I hope to be part of combatting the impact on individuals.

• In our ultra-digital and ‘connected’ era there's plenty of people suffering from loneliness, anxiety, depression, and are experiencing trauma as the structures we live within are making things harder for us all.

• It's becoming harder for me to engage with work without direct impact to these causes - and through years of contemplating and researching - I realised therapy, and specifically art therapy is the way I can engage with the world and hopefully make life easier for some people. 

• Growing up I witnessed what happens to people when we can't have adequate support. I was raised by a single mother, who after being a victim of assault, was left with a brain injury. She raised me by getting by on a salary as a carer and a cleaner when she could work, and on disability benefits when she could not - as her symptoms of confusion, tiredness, and short term memory loss from her disability made it very hard to work. I saw and was affected by the pain and homophobia my parents carried - and unfortunately pain that could never be fully helped. Witnessing the ableism, classism, anger and trauma from others and my family growing up shaped who I am and what I care about. I also hope these experiences can enable me to help people overcome similar experiences using empathy and compassion.

• I've benefited hugely from having access to therapy to make sense of my life. I want to support others to make their own explorations through their own individual journey. To essentially support them when they think, 'how did I get here?'. I want to eventually be able to offer accessible, free and subsidised sessions with priority given to anyone experiencing oppression. This article speaks about the discrimination working class and people of colour may face in finding a therapist. 

How will your money help?

• Through fundraising, you will be directly paying it forward to enable someone from a working class background to train to provide vital services to marginalised communities. Groups who often find it hardest to access therapeutic services due to waiting lists, economic circumstances, self-censoring and inadequate care.  

Wow, this sounds intense! What will the training be like?

• MA Art Therapy courses are regulated by the HCPC, leading to registration with the BAAT and HCPC.

• I will be studying 3 years part time, with the 1st year covering psychodynamic therapeutic theory, and contemporary art practice. The 2nd and 3rd years I will be studying further theory alongside completing two unpaid placements of a total of 120 days. The placements could be anywhere including in the NHS, charities, hospices, schools or prisons, which as a prospective student, really excites me!

• Goldsmiths has one of the best reputations for Art Therapy training. With its own unique wealth of resources, including a monthly group feedback session with all staff and students. This offers an opportunity to engage and confront group dynamics as a trainee. It also has its own art therapy ceramics studio and dedicated art studios. I will be supported throughout my placements and art making, and I also will have to undertake my own 1-1 or group therapy as part of my studies (at an individual extra cost, of around £50-£65 a week). 

Why not scholarships, grants or loans?

• The postgraduate loans only apply if you have not studied at masters level before, (and even if I could get one, they only cover up to £12K).

• I previously studied MA Psychosocial studies at Birkbeck, UoL, in 2022. This helped shape my decision making in training to become an Art Psychotherapist as it was an introduction into understanding society and people; specifically how we are affected by the world and how we affect it. During this time I began to question the impact of art, and what I could realistically do that aligned with my values. 

• In terms of grants, I am applying to several. These are generally small amounts, comparatively (£500-2,500K), and most education grants only apply to those who are younger than me or studying for the first time. This leaves me relying on my savings (I am saving all I can despite the cost of living crisis), and… to ask for YOUR help!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 14th August 2025 at 12:32pm