Three Complete BAAT & HCPC Ready Arts Therapy CPD Portfolio Examples From Start to Finish

What does a truly great CPD portfolio look like in practice? Creating an BAAT & HCPC-ready CPD portfolio is a crucial step for Arts Therapists seeking to maintain their professional standing and demonstrate compliance. But it’s more than just a folder of certificates; it’s the story of your professional journey, your challenges, and your growth.

This comprehensive guide demonstrates three real-world Arts Therapy CPD portfolio examples, from start to finish, portraying one example of each variety of CPD activity that there’s a structured worksheet for in the HandyCPD Portfolio. These examples are shown laid down in the accordions below and also within the HandyCPD structured worksheets in type form (where you’d write them in by hand as it’s a practical physical portfolio designed to get you thinking and writing).

You’ll see how it helps meet [British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) Quality Assurance Standards and HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Arts Therapists] guidance on CPD.

We’ll follow three Arts Therapists at different stages of their career showing a full CPD portfolio example of each.

  • Newly Qualified Art Therapist with 1 year post-qualification experience with a Master’s in Art Psychotherapy. They work in an NHS CAMHS Tier 3 team in Manchester , managing a small caseload of children and young people (ages 7-16) with complex mental health needs, including trauma, anxiety, and attachment difficulties. They conduct individual and group art therapy sessions, using art-making as the primary mode of communication, maintain clinical records, write reports, assess risk, and contribute to MDT meetings. This profile demonstrates how they identify a need to deepen their understanding of trauma-informed practice , undertake a formal workshop , apply this learning to structure sessions with a greater focus on safety and regulation , and use peer supervision to explore common challenges like managing client resistance to art-making. Their development of a specialism in working with young people where verbal communication is difficult is also highlighted.
  • Senior Dramatherapist with 12 years of experience, specialising in forensic services. They work in a high-security male prison in County Durham , designing and facilitating long-term dramatherapy groups focusing on offending behaviour such as anger management, empathy, and victim awareness. They are responsible for conducting detailed risk assessments and writing comprehensive reports for parole boards and mental health tribunals. This profile showcases how they address learning needs by attending an advanced workshop on dynamic risk assessment and management, apply new insights to integrate therapeutic change into risk formulation and improve parole reports, and navigate high-stakes situations like managing threats of violence within a group by remaining a robust container. Their close collaboration with prison psychologists and probation teams is also highlighted.
  • Senior Music Therapist with 20+ years of experience, running their own private practice based in Bristol. They specialise in dementia care and neuro-rehabilitation , providing individual and group music therapy, clinical supervision, and delivering training to care home staff and other healthcare professionals. This profile illustrates how they update their knowledge through advanced Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) Fellowship Training, integrate new evidence-based techniques into their practice for neuro-rehab clients , and manage complex ethical dilemmas regarding capacity and consent in late-stage dementia by advocating for the client’s best interests even when it conflicts with family wishes. Their engagement in clinical supervision (as a supervisor) to develop their own skills and support newly qualified therapists is also demonstrated.

CPD Example 1: Newly Qualified Art Therapist

Our first example follows a Band 5 Arts Therapist building their foundational skills.

CPD Profile

  • My main responsibilities are: To provide art psychotherapy to a caseload of children and young people (ages 7-16) with complex mental health needs, including trauma, anxiety, and attachment difficulties. I plan and facilitate individual and group therapy sessions, using art-making as the primary mode of communication. I am responsible for maintaining clinical records, writing reports, assessing risk, and contributing my clinical perspective to multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings alongside psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers.
  • The specialist areas I work in are: As a newly qualified therapist in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), my focus is on consolidating my foundational skills. I am developing a specialism in working with young people where verbal communication is difficult. My work involves using psychodynamic and attachment theories to understand the art created in sessions and to support the child’s emotional development. I am gaining experience in a wide range of childhood mental health presentations.
  • The people I work and communicate with most are: My primary interactions are with my clients (the children and young people). I work closely with their parents/carers to discuss progress and provide support. I am an active member of the MDT, communicating daily with colleagues. I have regular, formal clinical supervision with a senior psychotherapist and liaise with external agencies such as schools and social services to ensure a coordinated approach to care.

CPD Activity 1: Formal/Educational

  • CPD activity title / Provider / Time spent: Introduction to Trauma-Informed Practice with Children / Beacon House / 14 hours (2-day workshop)
  • Description & Context: I attended a two-day experiential and theoretical workshop focused on understanding the impact of trauma on a child’s brain and nervous system. The course covered how to create a safe therapeutic environment and use creative interventions to support regulation and recovery.
  • Initial Thoughts & Feelings: Before the course, I knew trauma was a factor for many of my clients, but I felt I lacked a deep, practical framework for it. I was eager to learn but also anxious about the emotionally challenging nature of the subject. During the course, I felt both validated in my existing relational approach and challenged to be more explicit about safety and regulation.
  • Evaluation & Analysis: The combination of neuroscience theory and practical, creative exercises was excellent. The main challenge was processing the case studies, which were very moving. This learning directly addresses a core need in my CAMHS role, as many of our young people have experienced significant trauma, and this provides a robust framework for my art therapy practice.
  • Learning & Conclusion: I learned about the “window of tolerance” and how to use art-making to help children regulate their nervous system before processing difficult memories. The key conclusion is that for traumatised children, establishing safety is not just a precursor to therapy, it is the therapy. The art itself can be a powerful regulating tool.
  • Impact & Future Actions: This knowledge will directly impact the way I structure my sessions, with a greater initial focus on safety-building and regulating art activities. This benefits service users by making therapy feel safer and more manageable, reducing the risk of re-traumatisation. My future action is to discuss implementing a “trauma-informed check-in” at the start of my sessions with my clinical supervisor.
  • Learning outcomes achieved: To understand the neurobiological impact of developmental trauma on children. To be able to identify signs of hyper-arousal and hypo-arousal in clients. To learn at least five creative, arts-based techniques for helping children to regulate their nervous system. To understand the principles of creating a trauma-informed therapeutic space. I gained practical skills in using specific art materials (like clay and paint) for grounding and sensory integration.
  • Relevance to Practice: This activity is highly relevant as a significant proportion of the children referred to CAMHS have a history of trauma. It provides an essential evidence-based framework that underpins my clinical work. This directly relates to HCPC Standards of Proficiency (e.g., 2. be able to practise as an autonomous professional…; 14. be able to draw on appropriate knowledge and skills to inform practice). It also aligns with the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) ethical framework regarding safe practice.
  • Type of Learning Activity: [ ] Work-based Learning [ ] Professional Activity [x] Formal / Educational [ ] Self-directed Learning [ ] Other (Please specify):
  • Supporting Evidence: Certificate of attendance uploaded Google Drive in CPD certificates: ‘TraumaInformedCert2025.pdfn.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Highly Relevant: The choice of a “Trauma-Informed Practice” workshop is perfectly aligned with the needs of a CAMHS client group, where trauma is a common factor.
  • Deep Reflection: The therapist moves beyond a simple description of the course, analysing their initial anxiety, the validation of their existing skills, and the challenge of the emotional content.
  • Clear Learning: The summary articulates specific new knowledge, such as the “window of tolerance,” and demonstrates how this new concept provides a robust framework for their practice.
  • Action Oriented: The activity concludes with a concrete, achievable future action—discussing the implementation of a “trauma-informed check-in” with their supervisor, which embeds the learning into practice.

CPD Activity 2: Reflective Practice

  • Reflective practice title / summary: Managing a child’s destructive impulse within an art therapy session.
  • Description & Context (“What?” / Description): This reflection concerns an individual session with a 10-year-old boy with a history of family disruption. He had spent 30 minutes carefully making a clay model of his house. Suddenly and without warning, he smashed the model with his fists and then tried to destroy other materials in the room. My role was to manage this behaviour safely, protect the therapeutic space, and understand the communication within his actions.
  • Initial Thoughts & Feelings (“Feelings”): My initial feeling was shock and a surge of adrenaline. I felt a pang of sadness for the loss of the artwork he had been so proud of. I was also concerned for his safety and my own. I had to manage my own startle response to remain a calm, containing presence for him. I felt the weight of needing to “get it right” and not react punitively.
  • Evaluation & Analysis (“So What?” / Evaluation & Analysis): This situation demonstrated the psychoanalytic concept of an “enactment” – the child was unable to tell me his feelings in words, so he had to show me through a destructive act. My role was to survive his attack on the therapy and help him symbolise the feeling. The ethical principle of providing a safe and reliable therapeutic frame was central. Looking back, I may have missed subtle cues of his growing agitation before the outburst.
  • Learning & Conclusion (“Conclusion”): I learned that destructive acts in art therapy are not just “bad behaviour” but a powerful, non-verbal communication of overwhelming feelings. The key conclusion is that my primary role in these moments is to be a “container” – to receive the difficult feeling, survive it, and help the child make sense of it afterwards.
  • Impact & Future Actions (“Now What?” / Action Plan): This experience has deepened my understanding of symbolic communication. In future, I will be more attuned to the subtle shifts in a child’s demeanour during a session. This benefits service users by allowing me to be more responsive to their non-verbal cues. I took this case to my clinical supervision where I explored my own feelings (counter-transference) in depth, which has helped me feel more prepared and resilient for similar situations in the future.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Critical Incident: The reflection focuses on a challenging but common clinical event—managing a child’s destructive impulse—making it a powerful learning opportunity.
  • Emotional Honesty: The therapist demonstrates high-level self-awareness by acknowledging their own physiological and emotional responses, such as shock, adrenaline, and sadness, and the need to manage their own reactions to remain therapeutic.
  • Analytical Depth: The analysis skilfully links the practical event to a relevant psychoanalytic concept (“enactment”), showing an ability to think theoretically about what is happening in the room.
  • Ethical Reasoning: The reflection shows clear ethical thinking in action, balancing the need to set firm, safe boundaries with the importance of a non-punitive and understanding response.

CPD Activity 3: Peer Working

  • Context / Focus of Interaction: Weekly art therapy peer supervision group within the CAMHS team.
  • Participants / Role in Group: Senior Art Therapist (supervisor), 2x Senior Art Therapists, Myself (Newly Qualified).
  • Key Discussion points and Your Contribution / Perspective Shared: I presented the case of a 14-year-old girl with social anxiety who was struggling to engage in the art-making process and was very self-critical. I shared my feeling of being “stuck” and my anxiety about “failing” the client. I outlined the different approaches I had tried, from offering different materials to working with her resistance directly. I asked the group for their perspective on her reluctance and for ideas on how to proceed.
  • Learning Gained from Interaction: I learned from the group that this is a very common presentation and my experience was not unique, which was incredibly validating. A senior colleague shared a similar case and suggested a technique of “collaborative art-making,” where we both make marks on the same page to reduce the pressure. My supervisor suggested I explore the meaning of her “not making” as a communication in itself, rather than a problem to be solved.
  • Impact on Practice / Future Actions: The interaction normalised my experience and gave me both practical strategies and a new theoretical perspective. I will try the collaborative art-making technique in our next session. I will also shift my own thinking to be more curious about her non-engagement. This discussion has boosted my confidence and reduced my feeling of professional isolation. It reinforces the vital importance of supervision for safe and effective practice.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Realistic Goals: The short-term goals are appropriate for a newly qualified professional, focusing on consolidating core skills, gaining confidence, and completing their first year successfully.
  • Professional Vulnerability: The therapist demonstrates maturity by being open about their anxieties with their peers, which is key to creating a supportive learning environment and reducing professional isolation.
  • Gaining Strategies: The interaction leads to gaining a practical new technique (“collaborative art-making”) that can be immediately implemented in sessions to help the client.
  • Deepening Perspective: The learning goes beyond a simple tip; the supervisor’s input encourages a significant theoretical shift—viewing the client’s “not making” as a meaningful communication rather than a failure of therapy.

CPD Activity 4: Career Development

  • Current Role / Career Stage: Band 6 Art Therapist
  • Career Goals & Aspirations – Short Term Goals: To successfully complete my first year in practice and consolidate my core clinical skills in CAMHS. To gain more confidence and experience in facilitating group art therapy sessions. To develop my report-writing skills for different audiences (e.g., social care, education). To attend a course on working with parents/carers.
  • Career Goals & Aspirations – Long Term Goals: To progress to a Band 7 Senior Art Therapist position. To undertake further training in a specific area, such as attachment theory or mentalization-based therapy. To become a registered clinical supervisor to support new trainees. To contribute to a service development project within the CAMHS team.
SWOT analysis:
  • Strengths: Up-to-date with current academic theory. Enthusiastic and passionate about my work. Good at building rapport with young people. Strong reflective capacity.
  • Weaknesses: Lack of deep clinical experience. Can find MDT meetings intimidating. Time management can be a challenge when managing complex cases and administrative tasks.
  • Opportunities: Working in a large, multi-disciplinary team with many learning opportunities. Access to high-quality clinical supervision. The trust is supportive of CPD and further training.
  • Threats: The high emotional demand of the work can lead to burnout. NHS waiting list pressures can limit the length of therapy offered. Limited resources within the CAMHS service.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Strategic Direction: The entry frames career planning as a vital CPD activity, showing that professional development is about long-term strategy, not just short-term clinical skills.
  • Aspirational Trajectory: The long-term goals show a clear and ambitious career path towards a senior and supervisory role, demonstrating strategic thinking about future development.
  • Honest Self-Appraisal: The SWOT analysis is candid and self-aware, providing a balanced assessment of strengths (enthusiasm, reflective capacity) and weaknesses (inexperience, time management).
  • Contextual Awareness: The analysis of opportunities and threats shows the therapist understands their professional context, including the value of being in a supportive MDT and the external pressures of NHS waiting lists and resources.

Images of this CPD Portfolio example using the structured worksheets in a HandyCPD portfolio.

CPD Example 2: Senior Dramatherapist specialising in forensic services

Our second example features a senior dramatherapist working in forensic services.

CPD Profile

  • My main responsibilities are: To provide specialist dramatherapy to offenders in a high-security prison. I design and facilitate long-term therapy groups focusing on offending behaviour, such as anger management, empathy, and victim awareness. I am responsible for conducting detailed risk assessments and writing comprehensive reports for parole boards and mental health tribunals. A key part of my role is working collaboratively with the psychology and probation teams to manage complex and high-risk individuals and contribute to their sentence planning.
  • The specialist areas I work in are: My specialist area is forensic dramatherapy. I have extensive expertise in working with personality disorders, managing challenging group dynamics in a secure setting, and using therapeutic theatre techniques to explore issues of violence and risk. I am skilled in applying psychodramatic and role-based methods to help prisoners safely re-examine their life histories and offending patterns.
  • The people I work and communicate with most are: My primary therapeutic contact is with the prisoners in my groups. I work in a close partnership with prison psychologists, probation officers, and prison officers to ensure a consistent and safe approach to managing the men. I have regular contact with offender managers and the Head of Psychology. I also liaise with external legal representatives and the parole board through my written reports.

CPD Activity 1: Formal/Educational

  • CPD activity title / Provider / Time spent: Advanced Workshop: “Dynamic Risk Assessment and Management” / Forensic Psychology Solutions Ltd / 14 hours (2 days)
  • Description & Context: I attended a two-day advanced workshop for experienced forensic practitioners. The course focused on moving beyond static risk factors to understanding the dynamic, changeable factors that influence an offender’s risk of re-offending. It covered new structured professional judgement tools and how to integrate therapeutic change into risk formulation.
  • Initial Thoughts & Feelings: As risk assessment is a core part of my role, I felt it was essential to ensure my practice was current. I was keen to learn how to better articulate the therapeutic changes I was observing in my groups within the formal language of risk assessment. I felt a great sense of responsibility, as my reports can influence decisions about an individual’s liberty.
  • Evaluation & Analysis: The case-based methodology was excellent, using complex, real-world examples. The main challenge was integrating the very structured, “tick-box” nature of some risk tools with the more nuanced, qualitative understanding I gain from therapy. This learning directly addresses the ongoing challenge of translating creative therapeutic work into the language of the criminal justice system.
  • Learning & Conclusion: I learned about new dynamic risk domains (e.g., “stability of relationships,” “pro-social identity”) and how to evidence changes in these areas using observations from my dramatherapy sessions. The key conclusion is that therapy can and should be framed as an active risk management strategy, and I need to be more explicit in my reports about how it reduces risk.
  • Impact & Future Actions: This knowledge will directly impact the quality and utility of my parole reports. I will now structure a section of my reports around these dynamic risk factors. This benefits service users by ensuring their therapeutic progress is properly recognised and evidenced in a way the parole board can use. My future action is to arrange a session with the probation team in the prison to share this framework.
  • Learning outcomes achieved: To understand the theoretical difference between static and dynamic risk factors. To gain proficiency in using at least one new structured professional judgement tool for risk assessment. To be able to formulate a client’s risk based on dynamic, therapeutically-informed factors. To improve skills in writing risk assessment reports for a parole board audience. I gained a deeper understanding of how to link observed changes in empathy and self-control in sessions to a reduction in future risk.
  • Relevance to Practice: This activity is fundamental to my specialist role. The assessment and management of risk is the primary concern of the forensic setting I work in. This enhances my core competency and ensures my practice is defensible and evidence-based. This directly relates to HCPC Standards of Proficiency (e.g., 8. be able to communicate effectively; 14. be able to draw on appropriate knowledge and skills to inform practice).
  • Type of Learning Activity: [ ] Work-based Learning [x] Professional Activity [x] Formal / Educational [ ] Self-directed Learning [ ] Other (Please specify):
  • Supporting Evidence: Conference registration and certificate of attendance uploaded to my CPD folder – certificates and I have created a new template for my parole reports which is now stored in my documents created folder.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Expert-Level CPD: The chosen activity, an advanced workshop on “Dynamic Risk Assessment,” is perfectly suited to an experienced practitioner looking to deepen their existing specialism.
  • Strategic Thinking: The reflection shows the therapist is thinking strategically about their role, focusing on how to translate nuanced therapeutic observations into the formal language of risk assessment required by the criminal justice system.
  • High-Impact Outcome: The learning has a direct and significant impact on a key professional function, leading to the creation of a new, more effective parole report template that better evidences therapeutic change.
  • Disseminating Knowledge: The planned future action—sharing the new framework with the prison’s probation team—demonstrates leadership and a commitment to improving multi-disciplinary practice, not just their own.

CPD Activity 2: Reflective Practice

  • Reflective practice title / summary: Managing a threat of violence within a dramatherapy group.
  • Description & Context (“What?” / Description): This reflection concerns a long-term therapy group. During a piece of improvisational role-play exploring conflict, one group member (Mr. A) became highly agitated and made a credible, veiled threat towards another member (Mr. B). My role, as the sole facilitator, was to immediately de-escalate the situation, ensure the safety of all group members, and manage the therapeutic fallout.
  • Initial Thoughts & Feelings (“Feelings”): My initial feeling was a surge of adrenaline and hyper-vigilance. I felt my own sense of safety was challenged. I had to manage my own fear in order to project a calm and containing authority. I was also concerned for Mr. B and angry with Mr. A for violating the group contract. I felt the pressure of making the right call about whether to end the session and call for support.
  • Evaluation & Analysis (“So What?” / Evaluation & Analysis): What went well was that I immediately stopped the action, stood up, and used a clear, authoritative voice to address Mr. A directly, reminding him of the group rules. This intervention was effective in de-escalating him. The negative was that the therapeutic safety of the group was breached. The turning point was when, after a pause, I was able to shift from a security focus to a therapeutic one, asking the group: “What just happened here? How is this moment like the situations that get you into trouble on the outside?” This situation demonstrated the concept of the “isomorphism” of the therapy group – the dynamics inside the room mirror the dynamics that lead to offending outside. The incident was not just a risk to be managed, but a rich therapeutic opportunity. The ethical need to maintain safety was paramount, but this had to be balanced with the therapeutic need to use the data in the room.
  • Learning & Conclusion (“Conclusion”): I learned that my own ability to stay regulated and thoughtful under threat is my most important tool. The key conclusion is that in forensic work, the therapist’s role is to be a robust container who can withstand these ‘attacks’ on the therapy and turn them into moments of learning for the group, modelling a different way of managing conflict.
  • Impact & Future Actions (“Now What?” / Action Plan): This experience has reinforced the importance of my own resilience and boundary-setting skills. The way the incident was managed ultimately strengthened the group’s cohesion as we were able to process it together. This benefits service users by showing them that conflict can be managed without violence. I took this incident to my clinical supervision to process my own feelings and to debrief the management of the incident, which was vital for my own well-being and professional growth.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • High-Stakes Incident: The reflection analyses a critical incident involving a threat of violence, demonstrating the ability to manage a situation with significant safety and therapeutic implications.
  • Advanced Resilience: It showcases the therapist’s capacity for emotional regulation under pressure, acknowledging their own fear and adrenaline while consciously projecting calm authority to de-escalate the situation.
  • Dual Focus: The analysis reveals a sophisticated ability to hold a dual focus: first managing the immediate security risk, then skilfully pivoting to use the incident as a powerful therapeutic learning opportunity for the group.
  • Complex Theory-Practice Link: The therapist applies the concept of “isomorphism” to understand the event, showing how group dynamics mirror the real-world offending behaviour they are there to address.
  • Essential Self-Care: The reflection concludes by highlighting the vital importance of clinical supervision for debriefing and processing such a significant event, which is key to professional resilience and well-being.

CPD Activity 3: Peer Working

  • Context / Focus of Interaction: Co-facilitation debrief meeting with a prison psychologist.
  • Participants / Role in Group: Myself (Dramatherapist), XXXX (Forensic Psychologist). We co-facilitate an offending behaviour group.
  • Key Discussion points and Your Contribution / Perspective Shared: The discussion focused on a particular group member who is very articulate and appears to be making good progress, but who we both feel has a core lack of sincerity. I shared my dramatherapy perspective, noting that in role-plays, he always plays the ‘good guy’ and is unable to embody the role of an antagonist, which I interpreted as a defence against accessing his more destructive parts. This provided a different kind of data to the psychologist’s observations from the more cognitive parts of the session.
  • Learning Gained from Interaction: I learned from the psychologist about the psychometric data for this individual, which pointed towards high levels of manipulation and impression management. This provided a strong evidence base that supported my more intuitive, arts-based observations. The psychologist’s cognitive-behavioural framework helped me to structure my therapeutic goals for him more explicitly.
  • Impact on Practice / Future Actions: The interaction led to a more integrated and sophisticated formulation of this client. We have developed a joint strategy where I will continue to use drama to challenge his defensive persona, while the psychologist will challenge his cognitive distortions more directly. This collaborative approach provides a more robust and challenging therapeutic experience for the client, making it harder for him to manipulate the process.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Collaborative Formulation: This example showcases high-level inter-professional practice, describing how the therapist and a forensic psychologist combine different data sources (dramatherapy observations and psychometrics) to build a more sophisticated and robust understanding of a manipulative client.
  • Professional Respect: The therapist clearly values the psychologist’s cognitive-behavioural framework and data, just as their own arts-based observations are valued, leading to a truly integrated approach.
  • Targeted Intervention: The collaboration results in a specific, joint strategy designed to provide a more challenging therapeutic experience for the client, directly addressing their defences and manipulative tendencies.
  • Articulating Value: The therapist confidently articulates the unique value of their dramatherapy perspective, showing how role-play can provide data that is different from, but complementary to, more cognitive approaches.

CPD Activity 4: Career Development

  • Current Role / Career Stage: Band 8a Highly Specialist Dramatherapist
  • Career Goals & Aspirations – Short Term Goals: To design and lead a new, evidence-based dramatherapy programme for offenders with a history of domestic violence. To become a registered clinical supervisor and begin supervising a junior therapist. To complete a qualification in medico-legal report writing. To present the outcomes of my service at a national forensic conference.
  • Career Goals & Aspirations – Long Term Goals: To progress to a Consultant Arts Therapist role within the prison service or NHS. To take on a strategic leadership role, influencing policy on the use of arts therapies in the criminal justice system. To undertake a professional doctorate, researching the effectiveness of dramatherapy on recidivism rates. To act as an expert witness in court proceedings.
SWOT analysis:
  • Strengths: Highly specialised clinical skills in a niche area. Extensive experience in managing risk and working with complex personalities. Resilient and adept at working in a challenging environment.
  • Weaknesses: The role can be professionally isolating. Deep specialisation can make it difficult to move to other clinical areas. Limited experience in budget management and service commissioning.
  • Opportunities: Growing recognition of the value of arts therapies in prisons. Opportunities to develop innovative new programmes. Potential to influence national policy and practice.
  • Threats: Prison service budgets are often under pressure, and therapy services can be seen as a ‘soft’ target for cuts. The high-stress, high-risk nature of the work carries a risk of burnout. Changes in political priorities can impact service delivery.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Leadership Ambition: The goals demonstrate a clear trajectory towards leadership, service development, and influence, with aspirations to design new programmes, present at conferences, and supervise junior staff.
  • Systemic Influence: The long-term goals are highly strategic, aiming to influence policy at a national level, contribute to the evidence base through doctoral research, and take on consultant and expert witness roles.
  • Astute SWOT: The SWOT analysis demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the realities of the role, acknowledging the professional isolation and burnout risk while also seeing opportunities for innovation and national influence.
  • Political Awareness: The “Threats” section shows an awareness of the wider political and financial context, noting that services can be seen as a ‘soft’ target for budget cuts and that political priorities can shift.

CPD Example 3: Senior Music Therapist running their own private practice

Our final example is from an experienced Senior Music Therapist running their own private clinic.

CPD Profile

  • My main responsibilities are: To run my own independent music therapy practice. This involves all aspects of business management, including marketing, referrals, contracts, and finance. Clinically, I provide specialist music therapy to older adults with dementia in care homes and to individuals with acquired brain injuries in a neuro-rehabilitation centre. I am also a registered clinical supervisor, providing supervision to other music therapists. A key part of my role is delivering training on the therapeutic use of music to care home staff and other healthcare professionals.
  • The specialist areas I work in are: My specialist areas are dementia care and neuro-rehabilitation. I am a qualified Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT) and have expertise in using evidence-based music therapy techniques to address non-cognitive goals (e.g., gait, speech) and cognitive/emotional goals (e.g., memory, mood, reducing agitation). I am also an expert in providing clinical supervision and mentorship.
  • The people I work and communicate with most are: I work with a wide range of people. My clinical interactions are with my clients and their families. I liaise closely with care home managers, activity co-ordinators, and the MDT at the neuro-rehab centre (e.g., physiotherapists, OTs). As a business owner, I communicate with commissioners and financial advisors. As a supervisor and trainer, I interact with my peers and other healthcare professionals.

CPD Activity 1: Formal/Educational

  • CPD activity title / Provider / Time spent: Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) Fellowship Training / The Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy / 28 hours (4 days)
  • Description & Context: I attended the advanced, fellowship-level training in NMT, having been a qualified NMT for several years. This is an intensive, evidence-based training focusing on the neuroscience of music perception and the application of standardised, replicable music therapy techniques for sensorimotor, speech, and cognitive goals.
  • Initial Thoughts & Feelings: I feel this training is essential to maintain my status as a specialist in this field. I was excited to be updated on the latest research and to refine my clinical skills. I felt a responsibility to bring the highest level of practice back to my clients and supervisees.
  • Evaluation & Analysis: The focus on recent neuroscience research was excellent and provided a stronger evidence base for my work. The main challenge is always the strict adherence to standardised protocols, which can sometimes feel at odds with a more psychodynamic, client-led approach. This learning deepens my ability to articulate why and how music therapy works in a scientific language that other clinicians understand.
  • Learning & Conclusion: I learned several new advanced techniques and refined my application of existing ones, particularly in the domain of speech and language. The key conclusion is that the NMT framework provides an essential, evidence-based toolkit that can and should be integrated within a broader, person-centred therapeutic relationship.
  • Impact & Future Actions: This will directly impact my practice by allowing me to offer a wider range of evidence-based techniques to my neuro-rehab clients. This benefits them by providing therapy that is directly targeting their specific goals in a measurable way. My future actions are to update the training I provide to care staff and to introduce these advanced techniques into my clinical supervision with my supervisees.
  • Learning outcomes achieved: To demonstrate advanced clinical proficiency in the core NMT techniques. To be able to critically evaluate new research in the neuroscience of music and apply it to clinical practice. To be able to design and implement NMT treatment plans for complex neurological conditions. I renewed my fellowship status as a Neurologic Music Therapist, which is a requirement for practising under this title and is a key part of my professional identity and marketing.
  • Relevance to Practice: This activity is at the very core of my specialist practice in neuro-rehabilitation. It is the primary evidence-based model I use with this client group. Maintaining this qualification is essential for my clinical credibility and for my business. This relates to HCPC Standards of Proficiency (e.g., 1. be able to practise safely and effectively within their scope of practice; 14. be able to draw on appropriate knowledge and skills to inform practice).
  • Type of Learning Activity: [ ] Work-based Learning [ ] Professional Activity [x] Formal / Educational [x] Self-directed Learning [ ] Other (Please specify):
  • Supporting Evidence: Renewed Certificate of Fellowship in Neurologic Music Therapy. Uploaded in to Certificates: ‘NMT_Fellowship_Cert2025.pdf’
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Maintaining Specialism: The activity, an advanced NMT Fellowship renewal, is shown to be essential for maintaining the therapist’s expert status, professional identity, and business credibility.
  • Balancing Paradigms: The reflection demonstrates sophisticated critical thinking, analysing the challenge of integrating strict, scientific, protocol-based work (NMT) with a holistic, person-centred therapeutic approach.
  • Articulating Value: The learning enhances the therapist’s ability to articulate the mechanisms of music therapy in a scientific language that is understood by other clinicians and commissioners, strengthening its evidence base.
  • Multiplying Impact: The planned actions show how the learning will be cascaded to others, directly benefitting not only the therapist’s own clients but also her supervisees and the care staff she trains, thereby multiplying its impact.

CPD Activity 2: Reflective Practice

  • Reflective practice title / summary: An ethical dilemma regarding capacity and consent in late-stage dementia.
  • Description & Context (“What?” / Description): This reflection concerns Mrs. X, a resident with late-stage dementia whom I have seen for several years. Her daughter, who pays for the therapy, is adamant it should continue. However, Mrs. X has become increasingly unresponsive in sessions and actively turns away from the music. My role was to assess whether the therapy was still beneficial and to manage the difficult conversation with her daughter about potentially stopping.
  • Initial Thoughts & Feelings (“Feelings”): I felt very conflicted. I have a long-standing, positive relationship with the family and I felt a sense of loyalty to them. However, I felt ethically compromised continuing to provide and charge for a therapy that I believed was no longer beneficial and may even be causing the client distress. I was anxious about the conversation with the daughter, anticipating she would be upset and angry.
  • Evaluation & Analysis (“So What?” / Evaluation & Analysis): What went well was that I carefully documented my clinical observations over several sessions, which provided objective evidence for my concerns. The negative was the emotional difficulty of the conversation. The turning point was when I stopped talking about stopping therapy and instead framed it as “changing the way we support your mother with music.” I suggested we have a joint session where I could teach the daughter how to use music in a simpler, more personal way with her mother, empowering her directly. This situation highlights the complexities of consent and best interests in clients who lack capacity. The ethical principles of beneficence (doing good) and non-maleficence (avoiding harm) were central and, in my judgement, now outweighed the family’s wishes. The shift from “providing therapy” to “providing support and training” was a key way to resolve the dilemma, respecting both the daughter’s desire to care and the client’s best interests.
  • Learning & Conclusion (“Conclusion”): I learned that my role can change as a client’s condition changes. The key conclusion is that being a therapist sometimes means knowing when to stop, and that an ending can be managed therapeutically and ethically. It is my duty to advocate for the client, even when this conflicts with the person paying for the service.
  • Impact & Future Actions (“Now What?” / Action Plan): This experience has made me more confident in navigating these difficult ethical conversations. I have developed a new “end of therapy” policy for my practice for clients who lose capacity. This benefits service users by ensuring their care is always guided by their best interests. I plan to write an article on this topic for a professional magazine, as I know it is a common dilemma for other therapists.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Complex Ethical Dilemma: The reflection tackles a very challenging ethical issue: the conflict between a family’s wishes and the therapist’s duty of care to a client who no longer has the capacity to consent and appears to be gaining no benefit.
  • Principled Stand: It demonstrates strong ethical reasoning and professional integrity, showing the therapist advocating for the client’s best interests even though it creates a difficult conversation and risks the loss of income.
  • Creative Problem-Solving: The analysis shows an excellent turning point where the therapist reframes the problem from “stopping therapy” to “changing the support,” empowering the daughter with new skills and resolving the dilemma therapeutically.
  • Practice Development: The experience leads directly to a tangible improvement in the therapist’s business practice—the development of a new “end of therapy” policy—and a plan to share this learning with the wider profession.

CPD Activity 3: Peer Working

  • Context / Focus of Interaction: Individual clinical supervision session where I was the supervisor.
  • Participants / Role in Group: Myself (Supervisor), XXXX (Supervisee – a recently qualified Music Therapist).
  • Key Discussion points and Your Contribution / Perspective Shared: My supervisee presented a case of a client in neuro-rehab who was very withdrawn and whom she was finding it difficult to engage. She expressed feelings of failure and frustration. My role was not to give her the answers, but to provide a safe, reflective space. I contributed by asking open questions to help her explore her own feelings (counter-transference) and to think about the client’s withdrawal as a form of communication. I shared a similar experience from my own early career to normalise her feelings.
  • Learning Gained from Interaction: Through supervising her, I learned about my own practice. Her fresh perspective made me re-examine some of my own assumptions. The process of helping her formulate her thoughts clarified my own theoretical thinking. I was reminded of the intense anxieties of being a newly qualified therapist and the vital importance of supportive and non-judgemental supervision.
  • Impact on Practice / Future Actions: The interaction improved my skills and confidence as a supervisor. It has encouraged me to be more explicit about the use of self and counter-transference in my supervision work. This benefits my supervisees by providing them with a deeper and more supportive learning experience. I have booked onto a supervision top-up course to further develop my skills in this area.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Reflecting on Supervision: This is a strong example of meta-reflection, where the therapist is learning from the act of being a supervisor, not just from being supervised.
  • Modelling Good Practice: The therapist describes how they provided a supportive, non-judgemental space for their supervisee, normalising her anxieties by sharing their own past experiences and asking reflective questions rather than simply providing answers.
  • Reciprocal Learning: The interaction is shown to be a two-way street; the supervisor acknowledges that the supervisee’s fresh perspective challenged her own assumptions and clarified her thinking, demonstrating a commitment to lifelong learning.
  • Investing in Skills: The positive experience of the supervision session directly leads to a new CPD goal—booking onto a supervision top-up course—showing how reflection on one’s practice informs future development.

CPD Activity 4: Career Development

  • Current Role / Career Stage: Senior Music Therapist / Private Practitioner / Clinical Supervisor
  • Career Goals & Aspirations – Short Term Goals: To hire a second therapist to expand the clinical capacity of my practice. To develop a series of online training modules for care home staff based on my successful face-to-face workshops. To complete a qualification in business management or marketing. To take on one more supervisee.
  • Career Goals & Aspirations – Long Term Goals: To transition my role to be primarily focused on training and supervision, reducing my clinical caseload. To establish my practice as a recognised centre of excellence for music therapy in dementia care. To write a practical guide or book for carers on using music therapeutically. To create a sustainable business that provides a good work-life balance and can be sold upon my retirement.
SWOT analysis:
  • Strengths: Highly experienced and specialised with a strong reputation. Dual role as clinician and supervisor. Established business with a consistent referral stream. NMT qualification is a strong USP.
  • Weaknesses: Limited time to focus on business growth due to clinical commitments. All business risk rests with me as a sole trader. Need to improve my digital marketing skills.
  • Opportunities: The ageing population means demand for dementia care services is growing. Online training offers a scalable new income stream. The NDIS and other funding models are creating new opportunities.
  • Threats: The financial viability of care homes can be precarious, impacting their ability to pay for services. Another local provider could set up in competition. My own health/ability to work is a key business risk.
Deconstructing This Entry:
  • Business Growth: The short-term goals are highly entrepreneurial, focused on scaling the business by hiring another therapist, developing online training modules, and improving marketing skills.
  • Strategic Transition: The long-term goals outline a clear strategic transition away from a full clinical caseload towards a role focused on training, supervision, and thought leadership, establishing the practice as a “centre of excellence.”
  • Succession Planning: The therapist demonstrates foresight by including an exit strategy in their long-term plan: creating a sustainable business that can eventually be sold, ensuring its legacy.
  • Business-Minded SWOT: The SWOT analysis is focused and pragmatic, identifying strengths like their reputation and specialist qualification (USP), and weaknesses like the lack of time for business growth and the risks inherent in being a sole trader.
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