How to Find an Art, Music or Drama Therapist in the UK

In short: Arts therapists use art, music or drama within a therapeutic relationship, and you don’t need any artistic skill. Art psychotherapist, art therapist, dramatherapist and music therapist are protected titles, so each must be on the HCPC register. On the NHS or at school, arts therapy is usually offered by the team already supporting you. Privately, you can contact a registered arts therapist directly.

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Please read. This is general information from us, not medical, clinical or professional advice. We’re a directory: we don’t provide therapy, we don’t recommend or guarantee any practitioner, and we’re not a crisis service. If you need urgent help, please use the crisis box at the bottom of this page. Services and rules change, so check the official websites linked here.

The three arts therapies

Art therapy (art psychotherapy) uses art-making as a main way of communicating (British Association of Art Therapists).
Music therapy uses live, often improvised music between you and the therapist (British Association for Music Therapy).
Dramatherapy uses drama, story-making and movement (British Association of Dramatherapists).

The British Association of Art Therapists says you don’t need any experience or skill in art. The focus is on expression and the therapeutic relationship, not performance.

NHS, school and private routes

Arts therapists work in NHS mental health and learning disability services, hospitals, schools, prisons, social care, charities and private practice. On the NHS or at school, arts therapy is usually offered by the team already supporting you or your child, so ask your GP, care coordinator, CAMHS team or the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). Privately, you can contact a registered arts therapist directly.

Each professional body has a finder on its own website. You can also search Therapist Circle, where art therapists, music therapists and dramatherapists are listed together under Arts therapist. Therapist Circle is new and still growing, so there may be few or none listed near you yet. If so, please use the professional body’s own finder. It is often the quickest route.

Check they’re registered

The HCPC protects four titles for arts therapists: art psychotherapist, art therapist, dramatherapist and music therapist. Anyone using one must be on the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register. Search by name or registration number, free. On Therapist Circle, every practitioner on Find shows their register and registration number so you can check them yourself. Before a profile appears on Find, we look up the person’s name and number on their public register by hand, and we re-check listed practitioners at least once a year. A check is only correct on the day it was made, so please also check the register yourself.

What about dance movement psychotherapy?

Dance movement psychotherapy is a related arts psychotherapy with its own professional register. Dance movement psychotherapist is not an HCPC title, so look for a practitioner on the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK’s professional register or the UK Council for Psychotherapy register. See dance movement psychotherapists.

Common Questions

Do I need to be artistic or musical?

No. The focus is on expression and the relationship with the therapist, not on skill or performance.

Are art therapist, music therapist and dramatherapist protected titles?

Yes. Art psychotherapist, art therapist, dramatherapist and music therapist are protected titles, so anyone using one must be registered with the HCPC.

Can I get arts therapy on the NHS?

Sometimes. It is usually offered through a team you are already seeing, such as a mental health service. Ask your GP, care coordinator or, for a child, the school’s SENCo or a CAMHS team.

How do I find an arts therapist near me?

Use the professional body’s finder for the therapy you are interested in, or search Therapist Circle, then check the person on the HCPC register before you book.

Last reviewed 26 October 2026. Information is drawn from the NHS, HCPC and professional body websites, checked in October 2026. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the NHS, the HCPC or any professional body.

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