Professional Training Program: Frequently Asked Questions
EXA is short for Expressive Arts.
Not in any formal sense! You do not have to have any experience in any of the arts modalities. Part of becoming an Expressive Arts Therapist is embracing the arts, imagination, creativity, and play as part of the learning. Becoming comfortable with the modalities is essential, but high skill is not. Our program encourages ongoing involvement in creative practice, which can include learning various art forms and techniques.
Everywhere. EXA is used in any environment, with any age, background, and ability. One of the beautiful things about EXA is the ability to modify approaches to meet people where they are, no matter where they are.
There are TWO tracks: Clinical Therapist and Facilitator
There are TWO pathways for our Clinical Therapist track: Clinical: Online and Clinical: Hybrid
There are TWO levels for each program: Level One provides foundational learning and application of the EXA in addition to consultation and mentoring. Level Two offers continuing learning and application of EXA, supervision/advising, and guidance while completing practicum hours. Depending on the program, course electives may also be required in Level 2.
First, you will want to determine which track fits your situation:
> Clinical = Licensed/Associate Therapists, Counselors, Clinical Social Workers, Psychologists, and Graduate Students (preferably in internship).
> Facilitator = Educators, coaches, community leaders, artists, healthcare workers, and more!
Second, if you choose the Clinical Track you will need to determine which pathway fits your situation:
> Clinical: Online (all coursework is completed online and included synchronous and asynchronous classes).
> Clinical: Hybrid (there is a mix of online synchronous & asynchronous classes as well as an in-person intensive at our Seattle Studio in the summer of Level 1. You can also select in-person electives as available/desired).
If you desire to pursue REAT registration through IEATA the Clinical Therapist tracks will fit your needs. If you desire to pursue REACE registration through IEATA the Facilitator track will fit your needs.
Yes, you can.
If you are in graduate school to become a therapist, counselor, or social worker, we recommend that you apply to attend when you are doing your internship, or have a worksite that will be open to you offering EXA, so you can accrue hours for the 200-hour practicum at the same time.
Yes, but please note that our classes are scheduled in the U.S. Pacific Time Zone.
Yes – once accepted to one of our Program tracks, you will receive further information to select the following payment options,
- Pay in full
- Pay quarterly (split into two payments, incurs a $25 payment fee per transaction)
- Pay monthly (generally setup over a 6 month payment period, incurs a $15 payment fee per transaction)
We love offering scholarships and are generally able to offer partial scholarships to each new cohort! Each year we have to assess how much we can offer to our training students. As soon as we know, you will know and the website & application information will be updated accordingly.
Take a look at our Program Overviews which outline Level 1 and Level 2 requirements and schedule!
Please note that these are dynamic overviews and are subject to change.
Our EXA Professional Certificate Training Program tracks are set up on a cohort model. There are not options to take courses outside of the cohort schedule unless there are extenuating circumstance requiring the Program Director’s approval. For example, if you are transferring from another training program and after review have shown you met learning requirements for some of the modules a separate schedule would be determined. This can also apply to someone who has met all of the learning requirements, but is seeking to complete the practicum/internship portion with NWCEAI. A review would determine if you are eligible to join at the Level 2 point of the program. These unique situations require pre-approval, please reach out to info@seattlearttherapy.org for further information.
However, when you are completing Level 2 practicum or internship hours, the time-frame to complete this requirement can vary and there are options to extend your time in Level 2 to accommodate those circumstances.
For either path, that would be fantastic! In some cases, it may be important to check with your supervisor to make sure everyone is on board. It’s also possible to find other places to accrue hours. This can be discussed in your mentor group, or with the program director.
No.
Official credentials to become a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT), or Registered Expressive Arts Consultant/Educator (REACE) is only through IEATA.
However, upon completion of Levels 1 & 2 of the NWCEAI EXA Training Program you can state that you have a professional certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy – or- Facilitation, depending on the pathway you’re on.
There is no expressive arts ‘certification’. The professional credential that you can work towards is with the IEATA for either REAT or REACE. Our training programs offer the required education you need for either credential, however, after completing either of our Programs, you will need to accrue experience hours and supervision hours. More information is at the IEATA website.
Within Level 1 of our program pathways, we offer small mentoring groups for consultation, and individual mentoring sessions. In Level 2 of our program pathways, Clinical: Online and Clinical: Hybrid students will participate in small group supervision as well as individual supervision sessions. Our Facilitator students participate in small group advising and individual advising sessions.
Post-graduation Supervision is available if you are seeking your expressive arts registration (REAT or REACE) at an additional cost. You can view all options, here.
EXA Therapy Clinical Track FAQs
That’s great!
You are welcome to continue seeing your supervisor as supplemental consultation and supervision; however, those sessions will not meet any of the program mentor/supervision requirements. You will be assigned an NWCEAI Training Program Individual Mentor/Supervisor during Level 1 and Level 2. There are a fixed number of individual and group mentor/supervisor meetings built into the program schedule. Outside of those meetings you are welcome to meet with another supervisor of your choosing.
The 200-hour practicum is what is required by the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) to be completed during institute training. This is a pre-requisite to accruing experience hours, post-graduation from our program.
You will need 1000 hours internship/work experience, 100 hours group supervision or 50 hours individual supervision, or a combination of the two. Every effort is made to use your worksite to complete your hours, and you have up to 48 months to complete this requirement.
NWCEAI offers post-graduate REAT & REACE Supervision options for your continuing professional pursuits.
Practicum officially begins in Level Two of the program. Since the amount of time to finish the practicum varies, Level Two offers flexibility to complete this requirement. A feasible goal to meet these hours is often within 6 to 12 months.
Not quite.
After successful completion of our professional certificate training program, you will receive a certificate of completion which allows you to claim that you use expressive arts therapy as a therapeutic approach and have received extensive training, and a certificate from NWCEAI. Upon completion of Levels 1 & 2 of the NWCEAI EXA Training Program you can state that you have a professional certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy – or- Facilitation, depending on the pathway you’re on.
It does not allow you to refer to yourself, or advertise yourself, as a Registered or Certified Expressive Arts Therapist, Registered Drama Therapist, Registered Art Therapist, or any other Creative Arts Therapy discipline with a credential, or use the suffixes: REAT, ATR, DMT, DTR, etc.
This program provides only the training requirements needed to apply for registration with the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA). Additional hours of supervision and internship will be required for registration with IEATA after the training has been completed. It does not prepare you for registration with the American Art Therapy Association, or another creative arts therapy discipline credential.
Please see Registration with the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association for more information about the application process.
Yes; however, at this time NWCEAI only offers supervision for REAT and not general licensure.
You can still participate in our program! If you are certain that this is not the path you will be on, the practicum hours may be waived. This is decided on an individual basis.
EXA Facilitator Track FAQs
Yes, a 25-hour internship is required for Level Two. Internships can be at your workplace or another location upon discussion with program advisor.
We build that into the program so that you have all the training requirements to pursue the REACE completed by the end of our program. Please see the requirements for the REACE here:
https://www.ieata.org/apply-reace
You can still participate in our program! There are many ways to utilize our training as an EXA Facilitator out in the world. We welcome anyone who has an interest in our training regardless of pursuing the REACE.