The American Art Therapy Association is a U.S. national professional association of over 5,000 practicing art therapists, students, educators, and related practitioners in the field of art therapy, with both U.S. and international members. AATA has 36 affiliated State and Regional Chapters with their own membership base, websites, meetings and advocacy activities on the local level that promote the profession of art therapy and the interests of the membership.[1]
AATA's academic journal is entitled Art Therapy: the journal of the American Art Therapy Association. This journal has been published for more than 25 years.[2] [3]
AATA created the Art Therapy Credentials Board in 1993, which has been a separate organization, since February 1, 2010, when the AATA Board approved a legal Separation Agreement that eliminated AATA's involvement in ATCB's governance structure.[4] ATCB is the national U.S. credentialing body for professional art therapists who meet stringent qualifications. ATCB credentialing programs enable art therapists to become credentialed in three tiers: by Registration (ATR), Board Certification (ATR-BC) and as an Art Therapy Certified Supervisor (ATCS).[5] Only ATCB-credentialed art therapists are legally entitled to use these suffixes with their names.