TATI instructor David Cho was featured on CTV’s The Social for a demonstration and conversation about the benefits of art therapy. Watch the segment here.
Applications for the January 2024 On-Site and Distance Learning Programs will be accepted between July 3-28, 2023.
We are hosting a virtual info session ahead of the January 2024 admissions period on Thursday June 15, 2023, from 12-1:30pm. To register for the info session and for more information, please see the On-Site program page or the Distance Learning program page.
TATI has implemented an up-to-date vaccination policy as of September 2021. Please click here to view.
We have a new cover image! It is created with contributions from students, alumni, faculty and supervisors. Please click on the cover image above to view a gallery of artwork with the names of the artist
The Toronto Art Therapy Institute (TATI) , established in 1968, was the first art therapy training program in Canada. We grant a Graduate Level Diploma in Art Therapy, DTATI, which allows our grads to work as Professional Art Therapists, to apply for membership with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, and to apply for advanced standing in a Masters Degree program. TATI is a CRPO Approved Training Program.
Our students are trained to integrate their art backgrounds as they learn about the process of Art Therapy and acquire skills for psychotherapeutic work with clients, including children, adolescents, adults and families. The TATI curriculum is designed to ensure students gain the knowledge and experience that will enable them to function as competent, ethical, and compassionate Art Therapy professionals. It is also designed to foster critical thinking, so students are actively involved in creating the learning environment, questioning dominant discourses in the field, and taking part in the production of new ideas. Graduates of the program become leaders in the field of art therapy in the areas of professional practice, research, and theory.
TATI meets the educational standards of the Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA). Students and professionals may elect to qualify for Canadian Art Therapy Registration (RCAT), provided that they meet all additional CATA requirements for registration. Information regarding these requirements is available through the Canadian Art Therapy Association website.
Online information sessions are held before each admissions period and are hosted by TATI instructors, practicum staff, and administrators to share information about art therapy, the TATI program, and application process, and to answer questions.
Upcoming info session:
January 2024 program admissions
Thursday June 15, 2023
12:00-1:30 ET via Zoom
TATI grads work all over Canada and the World. Here are just some places that TATI grads are working in Toronto:
The Hospital for Sick ChildrenWomen’s College HospitalSunnybrook HospitalBOOSTThe Etobicoke Children’s CentreSickKids Centre for Community Mental HealthSkylark Children, Youth & FamiliesYWCA Toronto
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Toronto Art Therapy Institute is registered as a private career college under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005.
On an academic level, I have never been so challenged and held to such high standards. The learning experience is very well-rounded and thorough, and the instructors bring with them a vast array of professional experience in their chosen area of focus. The small class sizes are conducive to bonding as students and future professionals, and to creating a strong relationship with instructors. Each student is accountable, not only to the instructors and to Helene, but also to each other.
The supervised clinical practicum hours required to complete the program are absolutely valid and necessary in order for students to enter the art therapy field well prepared and competent in a clinical atmosphere. Ongoing supervision is required throughout the practicum and the research process and I personally gained an incredible amount of knowledge and experience through the supervision provided. The proposal, research and thesis components were well supervised and advised. I found my advisor to be very committed, approachable and clear and concise with his advice. He was a strong advocate for the work I did, and he guided me through the process with great support and critical evaluation. The opportunity to grow and gain personal insight through participation in the TATI graduate program has allowed me to become very self-aware and balanced in my own life, creating the strong ability to practice in the most effective way for the clients with whom I work.
On a professional level, I now find job opportunities abundant, and feel very prepared and well qualified to work in the art therapy and the mental health field. In a recent interview, an interviewer remarked upon viewing my TATI education, “I’ve heard that is a VERY prestigious program”, and I agree wholeheartedly. Since graduating from the TATI program, I have held contracts in long term care, hospital settings, community health centre settings, with those living with acquired brain injury, those living with Alzheimer’s disease, caregiver groups and those living with developmental and learning challenges. I have never found myself without opportunities, and most recently have begun working full time in the addictions field. I have been given the opportunity to present my art therapy research at the Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Care Conference in 2014, and most recently have been asked to complete a book review for the Dementia and Ageing Research Team in Manchester UK.
None of this would have been possible without the education I earned at TATI, so thank you, Helene!