A Letter from KATI’s Founder and Professor Emeritus

We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we meet is traditional, unceded Indigenous territory. We also want to express our deep and heartfelt appreciation for the wisdom and teachings that are shared with us by the Indigenous peoples who come to KATI, helping us to learn the ways of respect and reciprocity for the land and all life

The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute is based on the belief that the creative process is both healing and life enhancing. We offer a comprehensive Diploma program that integrates art therapy theory, experiential studio work, clinical practice, and research. We maintain a focus on training culturally sensitive and responsive art therapists. Our method of training emphasizes deep personal exploration through the process of art therapy and dream work.

The Institute takes an eclectic approach to theory including phenomenological hermeneutic methodology, psychodynamic theory, object relations, eco-psychology, feminism, trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and humanistic client-centered counseling. We have also expanded into the expressive arts, so that we now include a range of approaches to ground the art therapy practice, including elements of phototherapy, poetry therapy, as well as the more traditional visual arts, sculpture, and construction. As a small Institute we can be creative and flexible in adapting and responsive to the training needs of our students.

Campus hybrid students have access to a variety of clinical placements in Nelson and the surrounding area. We provide the opportunity to work both independently as well as with a number of art therapists in different work environments. This gives a wide range of experience for the developing art therapist. Students have the unique opportunity of experiencing firsthand issues concerning therapeutic boundaries and ethical practice within a small town and rural area. Online hybrid students are mentored to find placements in their local communities, build relationships and explore the potential for future work in their areas.

We are very proud of our graduates, who are working in a wide range of different settings. These include schools, community services, transition houses, resources for seniors, First Nations agencies, Mental Health Services, and the Ministry for Child and Family Development. Our graduates work with children, youth, adults, and the elderly with a wide range of issues: trauma, illness, sexual abuse, witnessing violence, addictions, mental health, palliative care, and dementia, to name a few. Several graduates have also initiated international art therapy projects for children in Peru, Cuba, and Mexico.

The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute offers an excellent and somewhat unusual program with a rigorous and wide-ranging theoretical foundation and an equally wide-ranging experience of different techniques and client groups. We support students to be authentic in their therapeutic presence, skilled with a variety of populations, and experienced in a wide variety of environments.

I thoroughly enjoy teaching and deeply believe in the inherent value of the creative process. I am also deeply committed to art therapy research and students have commented with surprise that they find my enthusiasm contagious. I believe that one of the most exciting directions for the future of therapy is in the integration of clinical skills with creativity, the expressive arts, and the environment. If you are planning to enter this new and exciting field and are looking for a community-based school to pursue an education in art therapy, come and see what we have to offer.

Sincerely,

Monica Carpendale, BFA, DVATI, BCATR, RCAT
KATI Founder & Professor Emeritus

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