Study on campus

HOLISTIC INTEGRATED CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY PRACTITIONER TRAINING COURSE (HICAT)

This course allows you to create your own business and/or implement the skills into your current job role. Upon completion of the HICAT course, you will be able to live a life filled with creativity and self-expression, as you help other people to live happier and healthier lives.

Our courses are held in a face-to-face environment (called on campus study) and in some situations, may be held via a zoom environment. We have 3 locations: Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

We provide a high level of support and encouragement in developing your own unique style and skill set as a Holistic integrated creative arts therapist and/or holistic counsellor.

 Our teachers and facilitators are qualified and practicing holistic therapists, to ensure you receive the best possible support.

Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapy is a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. 

**Suitable for persons over 18 years old, including matured aged students

**No previous experience or qualifications required

**No artistic experience necessary

** Course not suitable for those suffering mental health issues such as schizophrenia. You must be able to manage your emotional triggers and responses.

Course Dates:

Note: Each location has 2 intakes per year

Venue

Brisbane 

Paddington Annex

10 Moreton Road, Paddington QLD 

1st Intake:

Tuesday 

13.02.2024 - 16.07.2024

2nd Intake:

Tuesday

23.07.2024 - 10.12.2024

Venue

Sunshine Coast

QCWA Yandina Hall

11 Stevens Street, Yandina QLD

1st Intake:

Wednesday

14.02.2024 - 17.07.2024

2nd Intake:

Wednesday

24.07.2024 - 11.12.2024 

Venue

Gold Coast

Ormeau Community Centre 

3 Cuthbert Dr, Ormeau QLD

1st Intake:

Friday

16.02.2024 - 19.07.2024

2nd Intake:

Friday

26.07.2024 - 13.12.2024

NB: Please note each class requires a minimum of 6 students to go ahead. 

In the unlikely case the class does not meet these numbers, an alternative study location or delivery method will be offered.

Course Investment:

Option 1 - Paid in full

$500 AUD deposit paid on enrolment to secure your spot, 

followed by $2699 AUD in full when course starts (Total $3199)

Option 2 - Split payment plan

$500 AUD deposit paid on enrolment to secure your spot, followed by $1399.50 AUD 1 month after the course starts and the other $1399.50 AUD one month before the course finishes (Total $3299)

Option 3 - Monthly Payment Plan

$500 AUD deposit paid on enrolment to secure your spot, followed by 5 x monthly payments of $579.80 AUD (Total $3399)

**All options are inclusive of GST 

Classes are held on a weekday from 9am to 2.30 pm, plus ten hours home study per week. 

The course has 20 modules and will take 6 months to complete.

Additional Info:

There is a materials list you will be required to have or purchase, which should cost you approx. $200. 

These materials will be used in class and for your homework during the course. 

They can be purchased at any Officeworks or arts and craft stores. 

The materials list will be emailed to you upon enrolment and payment.

NB: This practitioner certification does not lead to the Australian higher education awards.

For more info on enrolment or to speak with a course facilitator, please click the CONTACT US button below.

Course Structure:
Each of your classes will be divided into theory and practice sessions. A great deal of time will be spent exploring and participating in the creative arts and a wide variety of meditation styles, including movement meditation, mantra meditation, chakra meditation, guided creative visualisation, mindfulness and Zen meditation. On-campus students will have around 5 hours of homework per week (mostly art projects, some essays and meditation practice). 

Practical topics covered in this course include:

• Art Therapy (paint, watercolour pencils, charcoal & oil pastels)
• Tactile Therapy (sculpture, clay, construction, Sandplay & environmental art making)
• Music, Tribal Rhythms, Medicine Drums & Sound Therapy
• Dance & Movement Therapy
• Role Play, Storytelling, creative writing & Drama Therapy

Theory topics covered in this course include:

• The cause & effects of stress
• The mind/body connection
• Physiology of the brain
• Left brain/right brain
• Unconscious beliefs and mental patterns
• Exploring emotions
• History of art therapy
• Creative therapies & health
• Why creative art therapies are effective
• Creative art therapies as emotional healing
• Creative art therapies for recovery & rehabilitation
• Art & developing intuition
• Drawing from within
• Colour & emotions
• Sound, vibration & the bodies cells
• The creative process
• Art appreciation
• Interpretation & diagnosis
• Compassion & non-judgement
• Learning Styles
• Personality types
• Managing groups
• Supporting clients
• Working with PTSD
• Working with anxiety disorders
• Working with grief & loss
• Working with children
• Working with depression
• Working in medical settings
• Developing community arts projects
• Meditation for every day
• Meditation in action through art
• Meditation with music and movement
• Gratitude & art journaling
• Holistic counselling skills for creative arts therapists
• Networking & referring
• Ethics, safety & professionalism
• Setting up your own practice
• Creating a specialized practice
• Resources, materials & equipment
• Marketing for creative arts therapists
• Legalities, insurance and Joining associations

Course Outcomes:  

Graduates receive a qualification in Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapy and can use the letters Mbe.HICATprac. after their names.   

Graduates can also join the International Institute of Complementary Therapists, International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine and the Complementary Medical Association and get professional insurance. 

They will also be provided with a full year of free membership to the Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapists Association.   

You will graduate with the skills, knowledge and confidence required to set up your own Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapy Practice; run workshops, work with groups and see individual clients, in either general practice or specializing in specific areas of interest, if you wish. You may also be able to seek employment within some organizations who value holistic and complementary therapies. 

This is a professional, practical training course where you will explore a wide range of creative arts while learning the essentials of working as a Holistic Integrated Creative Art Therapist, in a safe, extremely supportive and fun-filled environment, with a highly experienced holistic therapist trainer.   

All information is evidence-based and will prepare you for a professional career. However, this course is also suitable for personal development.    

Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapy is the use of art, music, drama, dance/movement, poetry/creative writing, play, storytelling and sandplay within the context of therapy, counselling, rehabilitation, and holistic healing. HICAT enhances physical, mental and emotional functioning and well-being. Holistic therapists work with the whole person and assist people in becoming self-empowered through supporting them on a journey of self-exploration and personal growth, incorporating the body, mind, emotions and spirit. This course is evidence-based.   

It connects clinical research with ancient traditional wisdom, developing the mind, expanding creativity, building confidence and self-awareness, realigning the body’s cells, reconnecting with the essence of joy and awakening the spirit. If helping people rediscover their innate creativity and playfulness, while developing skills to overcome physical, mental and emotional hurdles and live happier healthier lives, is how you would like to make your living, this course is for you!  

Who Should do this course?

This creative arts therapy course is ideally suited for individuals who have a passion for the arts and a desire to make a positive impact on others' well-being. 

Whether you're an artist, counsellor, educator, or simply someone with a deep appreciation for the therapeutic potential of creative expression, this course provides valuable skills and knowledge to help individuals cope with emotional challenges, enhance mental health, and promote personal growth. 

It's a perfect choice for those looking to broaden their horizons, deepen their understanding of the healing power of art, and embark on a fulfilling journey in the field of creative arts therapy.

Module 1

Theory  

Unit 0 - Introduction to HICAT  

Unit 1 -The Cause and Effect of Stress  

Unit 2 -The Mind/Body Connection 

Practical  

Art Therapy - Drawing

 
Module 2

Theory 

Unit 3 - Physiology of the brain 

Unit 4 - Left brain/right brain  

Unit 5 - Unconscious beliefs and mental patterns 

Practical  

Art Therapy - Drawing

Module 3

Theory 

Unit 6 - Exploring emotions

Unit 7 - History of art therapy 

Unit 8 - Creative therapies & health 

Practical  

Sand Play Therapy - excursion to the beach

Module 4

Theory 

Unit 9 – Music and the brain 

Unit 10 - Creative art therapies as emotional healing  

Unit 11 - Creative art therapies for recovery & rehabilitation 

Practical  

Music Therapy 

Module 5

Theory 

Unit 12 – Art and developing intuition 

Unit 13 – Drawing from within 

Unit 14 – Colour and emotions 

Practical  

Art Therapy - Painting