Art Therapy Italiana is a non-profit association founded in the year 1982 by M. Belfiore, M. Della Cagnoletta and M La Monica, trained as Art Therapists at the Pratt Institute of New York under the guidance of Arthur Robbins, one of the leading figures in psychodynamic, expressive therapies.

The Dance Movement Therapy section was initially run by D. McCall and subsequently developed by R.M Govoni who was co-opted as a founding member of the group. In 1993 D. Mondino was also inserted amongst the founding members.

For more than twenty-five years this association promotes the practice of Art Therapy and Dance Movement Therapy in Italy, through the training of professional and qualified figures capable of designing and conducting specific interventions within the psycho-healthcare, psychosocial and educational sectors.

The founding members have also contributed to the birth and development of Italian Professional Association of Art Therapy (A.P.I.Ar.T) and Dance Movement Therapy (A.P.I.D). In the year 1992 the Training Programme of Art Therapy Italiana was officially recognized by Goldsmiths University London.

In 2004 L'Istituto di Psicoterapie Espressiva (the institute for Expressive Psychotherapies) was born enabling Psychotherapies integrated with Art Therapies and Dance Movement Therapy to be recognized by the Minister of Education, University and Research (M.I.U.R) (decree 23 July 2004 published on G.U n.180 of the 3rd August 2004) accepting students with degrees in Psychology or Medicine.

Art Therapy Italiana is member of International Association for Arts and Psychology.