Integrating Art Therapy into Counselling Education: Insights from Art Educators, Art Therapists, and Counsellors in Ghanaian Universities

This study explores the integration of art therapy into counselling education in Ghanaian universities, focusing on the perspectives of art educators, art therapists, and counsellors with an art background. The objective was to gather insights on the relevance and potential benefits of incorporating art therapy into counselling education at the tertiary level in Ghana. Guided by interpretivist philosophy, a qualitative research approach with a descriptive design was employed. Expert purposive sampling was used to select 10 respondents who provided critical information essential for the study. The findings, based on positive perceptions from the respondents, suggest that art therapy has significant potential in enhancing counselling education. Its ability to transcend language and cultural barriers, improve diagnostic and therapeutic processes, and increase client engagement makes it a valuable tool for counsellors working with diverse populations. Based on these findings, the study recommends the active integration of art therapy to enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic processes in counselling, thereby improving the overall effectiveness of counselling services.