Within these individual sub-disciplines of art therapy, there is a whole range of interesting training and further education opportunities in Switzerland, both in the form of short seminars lasting several days, intensive basic or advanced courses or full courses leading to the higher professional examination. People who are not sure whether training to become an art therapist is really the right decision can, for example, first attend an introductory course or a basic course to get an idea of whether this professional field actually corresponds to their own interests and inclinations. People who are already sure that they would like to pursue a career in the educational or social field, or would like to expand their current work in these areas, have the opportunity to train in basic training, for example as a painting therapist, in body-oriented music or in movement therapy. Such training courses are basic training courses that last around two to three years and provide participants with the knowledge they need to work as an art therapist in an institution or in their own painting studio. It is then possible to continue training in this specialist area and obtain recognition from one of the professional associations (GPK, FIAC, SVAKT, VDT, ARAET, APSAT, BTK), which enables them to be recognized by health insurance companies. This can be a corresponding further training course with professional experience, or a higher professional examination with a corresponding specialization - such as art therapy.

Depending on the type of training you are aiming for in painting therapy, different admission requirements apply.

For example, courses with internal school diplomas or certificates (cert.) often require completed vocational training, a high school diploma or a degree at University of Applied Sciences (UAS) level, as well as relevant professional experience and a keen interest in further training.

The exact admission requirements for continuing education, further training in painting therapy vary greatly depending on the school, so you should contact the respective educational institution personally if you are interested.

The following admission criteria apply for admission to the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for Art Therapists with a Federal Diploma. Diploma, the following admission criteria apply:

• Degree at continuing education and training / tertiary level in one of the following fields: Healthcare, education, arts or social work

or

• Upper-secondary level diploma and passed the GVB equivalency exam

and

• have worked in one of the following fields for at least 50% of two years: Healthcare, education, art or social services
• Proof of completed modules or certificate of equivalence
• Provide evidence of at least 20 hours of case supervision with supervisors recognized by OdA Artecura

More information can be obtained via the contact form of the respective school - quickly, easily and without obligation. Alternatively, you can use the "Ask a question" button to get in touch with the right contact person straight away.

• Social pedagogues and social education workers
• Artists and artists
• Complementary therapists and complementary therapists
• Teachers and educators
• Coaches, consultants and advisors
• People from the healthcare sector
• Lateral entrants with a very strong interest

• Social therapy
• Chronically ill
• Private practices
• Prisons
• Rehabilitation
• Curative education
• Palliative medicine
• Acute hospitals

After training in painting therapy, the painting therapist works with design and painting therapy. She works in this specialist field. However, she is also an art therapist in painting therapy. Art therapist is therefore the umbrella term. Art therapists can also work in movement therapy, speech therapy, music therapy or intermedial therapy.