The Madras Institute of
Art Psychotherapy
The Madras Institute of Art Psychotherapy (MIAP) was founded with a simple purpose, to bring the language of art into the practice of mental health in India.
Rooted in both psychology and creative expression, the institute aims to make art-based therapeutic training accessible, ethical and relevant to the Indian context.
MIAP creates a learning space where art, reflection, and clinical insight come together. Our program blends international best practices with local cultural awareness, helping mental health professionals build the confidence to use creativity as part of their therapeutic approach.
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy opens a quiet, non-verbal space for healing, where feelings take form through colour, texture and movement.
It enables people to express what words often can’t, allowing emotions, memories, and insights to surface safely and gently. By engaging with the creative process, both therapist and client begin to understand, process and transform inner experiences. It is a personal exploration of expression that our inner self yearns to communicate.
Vision
To build a community of mental health professionals in India who integrate art-based interventions into therapy — fostering deeper healing and resilience through creativity.
Mission
To introduce professional counsellors and psychologists to the foundations of art therapy through experiential learning, reflective practice, and ethical supervision — rooted in the Indian context and aligned with global standards.
About the Course
The Certificate of Applied Art Therapy Practice is a specialised training program created for counsellors, psychologists, and mental health practitioners who want to bring the depth of creative process into their professional work.
This program goes beyond theory. It invites participants to experience art as a therapeutic dialogue, a space where colours, textures, and forms can hold emotion, memory, and meaning. Through hands-on workshops, guided reflections, and supervised sessions, participants learn how to use visual art to open conversations that words alone cannot reach.
Structured around experiential learning and ethical supervision, the course builds both confidence and sensitivity in working with art-based interventions. Each session blends clinical understanding with creative exploration, helping professionals translate the insights of art-making into effective therapeutic practice.
By the end of the program, participants will not only understand the principles of art therapy, but also know how to integrate them responsibly into their sessions, enhancing emotional expression, fostering resilience, and deepening the healing experience for their clients.
Key Highlights
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Ideal For: Professional counsellors, psychologists, and mental health practitioners
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Focus: Integrating art-based techniques into existing therapy sessions
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Format: Experiential workshops, guided art-making, group reflection, and supervised practice
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Outcome: Confidence in using art as a therapeutic medium for diverse client needs
Learning Approach
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Experiential Training: Engage directly with art-making to experience its therapeutic depth.
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Theory Sessions: Learn the principles, history, and ethics of art therapy
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Supervised Practice: Apply what you learn with guidance from trained art therapists
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Reflective Learning: Cultivate self-awareness through personal creative reflection
Course Structure
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Foundations of Art Therapy: Professional counsellors, psychologists, and mental health practitioners
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Art as a Therapeutic Tool: Integrating art-based techniques into existing therapy sessions
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Working with Media: Experiential workshops, guided art-making, group reflection, and supervised practice
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Ethics & Cultural Sensitivity: Confidence in using art as a therapeutic medium for diverse client needs
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Practical Sessions: Confidence in using art as a therapeutic medium for diverse client needs
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Supervision & Feedback: Translating learning into clinical practice
Course Specifics
Course Date: January 31 to March 8, 2026
Duration: 11 sessions
Days: Saturdays & Sundays
Time: 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM IST
Mode: Online (Zoom)
Certification: Issued by Madras Institute of Art Psychotherapy, validated by a Registered Art Therapist
Fees: ₹37,000
Facilitators
Guided by experienced art therapists from India and Europe, this program is led by two experts who bring together decades of experience, cultural depth and genuine compassion for the process of healing through art.
Sibylle Cseri
Sibylle Cseri is an accredited clinical supervisor, lecturer, and practicing art therapist with over 20 years of experience. She has been instrumental in developing art therapy as a profession in Spain, working with leading mental health institutions and training organisations.
A faculty member at Metàfora – Studio Arts and Art Therapy in Barcelona and a guest lecturer with the Master’s in Art Therapy at the Kunstakademie Weissensee in Berlin, she brings both depth and international perspective to her teaching.
Sibylle is also a co-founder of the European Federation of Art Therapy (EFAT), where her continued leadership helps shape the growth of art therapy across Europe.
Uma Balachandran
Uma Balachandran is a Counselling Psychologist, Art Therapist, and Professional Supervisor with a strong foundation in both psychology and creative practice.
She holds a Master’s in Counselling Psychology and a Master’s Diploma in Art Psychotherapy from the Canadian International Institute of Art Therapy.
A Professional Member of the Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA) and Executive Committee Member of the Indian Academy of Professional Supervisors (IAPS), Uma brings both international training and deep cultural understanding to her work.
Since 2019, she has facilitated individual and couple therapy, as well as workshops for corporates, schools, and colleges—helping clients explore self-esteem, resilience, and emotional expression through art
Ready to bring creativity
into your therapeutic practice?
The Certificate of Applied Art therapy practice for Psychologists and Counsellors is designed to provide professional counsellors, psychologists, and mental health practitioners with foundational knowledge and practical skills to integrate artbased techniques into their existing practice. This course does not qualify participants as certified or registered art therapists. It is not a substitute for formal postgraduate training in art therapy. Participants are encouraged to use the skills learned here within the ethical scope of their existing professional qualifications.