International Art Therapy Education

International Art Therapy Education in Denmark

A Jungian oriented 3- year program in art therapy starts in 2026 in Denmark. All teaching will be held in English.
The program contains 9 courses in Denmark each 7 days.

For many years an international course has been offered at the institute each summer with participants from many countries. This program gives an opportunity to add a professional therapeutic training to a personal development in order to use a Jungian approach in clinical work with clients.

About the institute

The art therapy institute in Denmark was founded by Vibeke Skov in 1986 and an art therapy education in Danish has been offered since then.  Other teachers are connected to the institute and will become part of the international training program as well. It is a private institute without support from government.

The basic orientation is based on Jung’s psychology and the understanding of development of the individual Self as an original and creative core in the personality.

We expect participants to be motivated to a personal development as well as an interest in developing skills to work with other people using art in therapy.

A diploma will be received by the end of the program.

The art therapy educational program

The art therapy education contains 9 courses each with a duration of 7 days, and there will be 3 courses each year during 3 years.

The program is built on the understanding, that loneliness lies behind most psychological difficulties in our present time, and the courses are meant to create a development from loneliness towards a more joyful living using creative expression and dialogue as a bridging method.

Loneliness is an experience of not feeling connected to others as well as to the inner Self in the psyche. Through the courses we will move from working creatively with relationships in the outer reality before we start the inner journey towards the Self.

Essential for the Jungian approach is, that by changing the relationship to the inner personalities (shadow, masculine/ feminine and Self) we are also able to transform the way we relate to other people in the outer world.

Each course will introduce art therapeutic methods relevant for clients who are primarily situated in one of the 6 phases of development.

During the courses we will work through different layers in the psyche moving from loneliness – or disconnectedness to Self and others, – towards a relationship with the inner Self in the psyche. The tool for this transition will be creative processes – mostly painting and clay – and imaginative and therapeutic dialogues.

Participants will receive training in working therapeutically with different clients according to their different needs using creative modalities.

The program therefore consists of two tracks. One is related to the participants own development and the other is professional and connected to working with clients.

Every week will have a specific focus and different art therapeutic methods will be offered as a way to create some orientation in the psychological development for the client.

During all courses there will be:

–     Studio work. Painting, clay or glass

• Art therapy training, where participants also work with each other under supervision in order to develop therapeutic skills.
• Creative dream work, which will also be part of the participants ‘homework’
• Drumming and meditation as a daily ritual during most courses

Essays

Participants will be asked to write an essay (app. 3000 words) after each course as a way to reflect and communicate experiences and theory relevant for the specific course. During the following course there will be an individual dialogue (20 minutes) based on the essay. The purpose of writing essays is to develop an individual way to communicate art therapy experiences, which is both personal, professional and readable for others.

There will be a final paper (app. 30.000 words) to be presented during examination after courses.

There will also be a practical examination where students work with a client for 1 hour.

Themes during the education

Course 1: Introduction to C.G. Jungs psychology through art therapy

Working with the mask, the ego, the shadow, the masculine – feminine and the Self through creative processes and dialogues. Also an introduction to picture interpretation based on Jung’s typology.

Course 2: Loneliness

Focus on the concept of relational trauma and how they affect the psyche in a developmental process. We will work with the inner child and family patterns related to upbringing. Especially the influence of the mother complex in the psyche together with self-protective defenses in the personality structure. We will also look at the positive aspect of loneliness, such as motivation to change and the need to develop a connection to deeper aspects of the soul.

Course 3: The development of personality

Deepening the connection to the inner child and allowing the child to develop through expression in the artwork.

Focus on complexes and how they develop in the young psyche. We will look at consequences of negative parenting, such as absent or abusive fathers or neglecting or non-protective mothers. How can guilt be transformed into a consciousness of reality and how can we create new family patterns through imagination and creativity.

Course 4: Opening of the inner world

Focus on this course will be to discover the re-enactment of early complexes in the psyche as they are expressed later in life. How do complexes show themselves in the present life as a repetition of early relational trauma. The experience of a parallel between the inner and the outer life, will be a motivational factor to begin the inner journey towards the Self. We will work creatively with dreams, as messages from the unconscious and Jung´s method of Active Imagination will be introduced.

Course 5: Development of inner dignity

Focus on this course will be a deepening of experiences of the shadow personality in the psyche, which was introduced during the first week. We will use creative and imaginative methods to integrate shadow aspects in the psyche.

Course 6: Development of the creative psyche

Focus on this course is the relationship between the inner masculine and the feminine parts of the psyche. Through expressive and imaginative tools, we will bring the inner couple into a transformative process, where new aspects of the inner polarity can become conscious. This is a week where active imagination will become familiar to use in art therapy processes.

Course 7: Shame and creativity

Focus on this course will be on transforming shame, in order to develop fully the inner dignity and self-worth in the psyche. We will use the old story of Inanna as a reference to this process and rebuild a supportive function of the inner masculine and feminine side in relation to the Self.

The steps will be: preparation, initiation, death, return and new world order. The point is, that by making the relation to the inner world stronger, the vulnerability to shame will become weaker.

Course 8: Soul and beauty

The focus on this course is to use therapeutic and visual expressions together with an aesthetic approach to the image. The voice of the inner judge will be used as a critical attitude, supporting the process of creating both beauty and soul.

Course 9: The therapeutic relationship

The focus on this course is to look at transference and countertransference in therapeutic processes.

How can you use experiences of countertransferences creatively together with your client or in your own personal development. There will be an introduction to creative supervision methods and an overview of art therapy methods with different kinds of clients.

Litterature

A list of literature will be presented at the beginning of the program related to each week.

Rhythm during a day

10.00 – 11.00: Drumming, meditation and dreams

11.00 – 13.00: Workshop

13.00 – 15.00: Lunch

15.00 – 18.00: Workshop

The last day we finish at 13.00

Students are welcome to use the art studio outside teaching time.

Individual therapy and supervision

During the first 2 years students must receive at least 30 hours of individual therapy in their home country as a deepening and continuation of the processes during the courses.

During the last year students must receive 20 hours of supervision related to their work with clients.

Teachers in the program

Vibeke Skov, Ph.d., Clinical psychologist and artist. Leader and teacher at the art therapy institute since 1986

Inge Nygaard Pedersen, Ph.d., Music therapist. Teacher at the institute since 1986

Sissel Bøhn. Psychodrama therapist. Teacher at the institute since 2005

Lau Laursen, Musician, composer and Jungian therapist. Teacher at the institute since 2000

Alex Nielsen, Art therapist and supervisor. Teacher at the Institute since 2015

Who can apply?

• You must be at least 25 years old
• You must have a relevant background education or experience from personal therapy or other psychotherapeutic training
• You must be motivated to work with the unconscious

Location and Accommodation

The institute is located 15 km from Billund airport. Busses are going each hour towards the school.

The institute is located in the middle of beautiful nature by a lake.

There are 5 beds available for students in the institute in 3 rooms and several Air B&B accommodations within a walking distance to the institute. The price for accommodation will be app. 30 € per night and is not included in the price for the education. The institute can refer to accommodation if needed.

Price

Total price for the education is 8000 € inclusive art material, coffee and tea.

Deposit is 800 € and is part of the total payment.

If a student wish to stop in the program there will be a termination fee of 350 €.

Final examination is not included in the price and costs 500 €, covering an external evaluator and guiding related to writing the thesis.

There will be expenses to books, individual therapy and supervision.

Payment terms

Deposit is due together with the application

Year 1: 2400 € is paid by 1^st of march 2026

Year 2: 2400 € is paid by 1^st of march 2027

Year 3: 2400 € is paid by 1^st of march 2028

Application