Licensure in the United States and Canada is governed by the states, provinces, and territories. Neither country has national licensure.

Some states/provinces have laws requiring licensure in order for someone to work as a mental health professional, although this may depend in part on the types of settings where one works. For example, most states/provinces will require a mental health license in order to work in clinical mental health settings or a teaching license in order to work in school/educational settings. Even when a license is not required by law, many drama therapists find that having a license allows more job opportunities.

It is recommended that future drama therapy students think about where they would like to live and work when they finish their training, and then research the licensure and practice laws in that state or province. Most licenses do not transfer to another state/province, although some license boards have reciprocal agreements or a process for granting licenses to people with the same license in another state/province. The best way to find out about licensure laws is to reach out to your Government Affairs Chair or talk to drama therapists and other professionals in that state/province. NADT members have access to the on-line membership directory which will allow you to search for drama therapists by state or province.

As well, refer to the Licensure in Canada and Licensure in the United States tabs to search for current licenses available in the region where you may want to work.