ANZACATA Response to NDIA Review
April 17th 2025 Announcement from NDIA can be found here. No details available yet regarding Stephen Duckett’s Review.
Friday February 7th 2025 | ANZACATA has now responded to the questions asked by Professor Stephen Duckett in the NDIA Review of Art and Music Therapy. You can see the summary of our response here. We have also provided Professor Duckett with 9 substantial appendices which support our summary document. If you are keen to see the evidence in more detail, you can find it here.
In addition, we have compiled 95 stories from participants and their families about how greatly they value Art Therapy as part of the NDIS. It has very moving stories of how creative arts therapies have changed lives. It is available free to download in our shop.
Friday 13 December 2024 | NDIA will ask Dr Stephen Duckett AM to review art therapy's evidence base and report by mid March 2025. Art Therapy will continue on the NDIS until the review is complete. Read the NDIA media release.
Wednesday 27 November 2024 | The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) advised the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA) on Monday 25 November that arts therapy will not be continued as a Therapy Support after 2 December 2024. On 26 November the NDIA posted different guidelines on its website without consultation or explanation. The NDIA has left the profession reeling from its poor process, lack of consultation and different advice from one day to the next. The unexpected removal of art therapy from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) approved services list will leave hundreds of Australians living with a disability without access to crucial therapeutic support.
Read in full.
Members can head over to the member portal for the latest NDIS news.
MEMBER NEWS
Who Are Creative Arts Therapists?Creative Arts Therapists who are members of ANZACATA, are allied health professionals who have completed ANZACATA recognised and endorsed training with a university or a registered training organisation. They use creative processes to help clients explore feelings that may be hard to put into words. Creative Arts Therapists help clients to reduce anxiety, improve self-awareness and find new pathways to healing. Who is ANZACATAANZACATA is the peak professional body representing creative arts therapists in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia/Pacific region. LEARN MORE What is Creative Arts Therapy?Creative Arts Therapy is an experiential psychotherapeutic approach offered by qualified practitioners utilising a range of creative modalities. It is holistic - attending to emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual well-being and aligns well with indigenous and non-indigenous models of health and well-being. LEARN MORE |
 | Podcast Series in Collaboration with MHPNCreative Arts Therapy is a four-part podcast series produced in partnership with the ANZACATA and Mental Health Professionals' Network (MHPN). Episodes were released fortnightly from 11 September 2024. Hosted by clinical psychologist, Professor Mark Creamer, the series features practising therapists and academics who explore the diversity of creative arts therapies and their therapeutic value. Introduction | Episode 1: The Evidence | Episode 2: Qualifications and Competencies | Episode 3: Clients and Settings | Creative Arts Therapies Episode 4: Future Directions |
The Proven Efficacy of Creative Arts Therapies: What the Literature Tells Us |
 | ANZACATA has produced a substantial publication that is for sale. A posted hard copy of the report costs $40 (+GST if you live in Australia). Members and non-members now have FREE access to the document. To cite the report: Gray, D (2022) ‘The Proven Efficacy of Creative Arts Therapies: What the Literature Tells Us’ ANZACATA. Melbourne, Australia. The ANZACATA Research Report is available ONLINE or PRINTED. Members can access the full recording in the member area. |  |
What might happen in a Creative Arts Therapy session? |
Three ANZACATA Creative Arts Therapists talk about what happens in a creative arts therapy session and show that while no particular skill in creating art is needed, clients can gain insights into their emotional lives by engaging in the creative process with the support of a university trained creative arts therapist. | | ANZACATA Professional Member Corinne Allan gives us an example of how to reduce your stress using the neurographic art technique. Find a registered creative arts therapist at anzacata.org/find-a-therapist. |
Significant Growth in ANZACATA MembershipWe have grown in membership since our beginnings in 2018 by a huge 85% and we know this is mainly because of the increased offerings provided by your Association. Members can feel proud to belong to ANZACATA - the home of all qualified, registered Creative Arts Therapists. Your membership is the sign of your dedication to the professional field and also it enables the Association to provide even more opportunities and benefits just for our members. Thank you for making ANZACATA such a success story!
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UPCOMING ANZACATA EVENTS
Members can login to access events, courses, training and workshops offered by members and other bodies. | ANZACATA OPEN GALLERYThe ANZACATA Open Gallery showcases artworks by ANZACATA members. Selected artworks will gradually be added to our social feeds. Head over to the Facebook Gallery or Instagram Gallery.
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 Find a Creative Arts TherapistSearch our member directory to find a therapist in your local area (Australia, New Zealand, Asia). |  Want to know where to study?
Search training programmes accredited by the Qualifications Authority in their respective country. |  Categories and requirementsLearn about pathways to professional registration as a creative arts therapist with ANZACATA. |  Want to become a member?Information about member benefits and requirements of becoming a member of ANZACATA. |
MEMBER ONLY ACCESS
Members can easily search for ANZACATA approved supervisors to facilitate supervision requirements. | Members can stay up to date with current jobs sourced from various platforms and updated regularly. | Members can book into various events throughout the year. Events are available to members only. | Members can access a wide variety of resources including webinars, special logos, news and more. |
The Journal of Creative Arts Therapies (JoCAT)The Journal of Creative Arts Therapies (JoCAT) is the home of the creative arts therapies research community. JoCAT is the open access peer-reviewed publication of ANZACATA in association with the School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University. There are two issues of JoCAT each year, with content pre-published every three to four weeks on an attractive easy-to-use website. Articles; podcasts and interviews; creative pieces; reviews of books, exhibitions, performances and more; as well as themed 'explore' pages and back issues of JoCAT and ANZJAT. |  |
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ANZACATA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters of Australia and we pay our respect to leaders past and present. We acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded.
ANZACATA acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi and a commitment to upholding the spirit of the principles in relationship with tangata whenua - with Māori people of New Zealand.
ANZACATA supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Supporting and advancing creative arts therapies in Australia, New Zealand and Asia-Pacific
Last updated: 17 April 2025