Programs for Children

Child-centered art therapy

Therapy with children is centrally focused on their individual functioning within the context of their family. A four-session assessment process precedes the therapy process and aids in fully understanding the child and the problem at hand. This assessment process includes a meeting with parents or caregivers and the therapist only to get a full developmental history of the child and discuss how therapy works with young children. The second session is a family art therapy session where all members of the family participate to get a sense of how the child interacts with their family members. This also eases the child’s anxieties about what to expect when coming to visit a therapist and sets the tone to the child that everyone in their family will help solve the problems involved. The third visit is an art therapy assessment session with the child alone. This is a way of getting to know the child and how they envision and perceive their whole world. Finally, the therapist and parents meet again to outline the observations from the assessment, set goals and begin providing support for the parents in helping their child.

From there, child-focused therapy includes cognitive-behavioral problem solving each week, connecting with school personnel or other providers of care for the child and the creative, imaginative work of art and play therapy where children explore their full range of feelings and the resources within themselves that help them cope with stressors. Art and play therapy are natural avenues for children to communicate about their internal worlds and therefore, provide a natural outlet for exploring feelings and releasing blocks to healthy emotional functioning.

Art Therapy with Children addresses issues such as:

• Oppositional/Defiant disorder
• AD/HD
• Depression and dysthymia
• Anxiety disorders
• Developmental delays
• Trauma
• Grief and Loss