What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a branch of psychotherapy in which participants utilize the creative process to heal and promote well-being. Children’s art therapy is especially beneficial because a young person is typically more comfortable expressing themselves through art than with their limited vocabulary.
In children’s art therapy, the art therapist has specific training and communicates while the child participates in the creative process. Kids are encouraged to explore a wide range of materials and mediums to create artwork. The therapist may or may not ask about the child’s specific artwork but will almost always initiate conversation.
Typically, both artmaking and conversing with the therapist will happen in each children’s art therapy class.
Proactive Health Corp Pediatric Art Therapy
In Proactive, we allow children to explore their natural artistic abilities so that they can improve their overall quality of life. With children’s art therapy, kids can also:
- Process healing, both physically and emotionally
- Express their feelings about difficult situations such as illness, medical treatments, or traumatic experiences
- Offer a sense of control and mastery
- Ease grief and bereavement
- Reduce anxiety and depression while building resiliency
- Become more self-aware
- Increase self-esteem
- Improve problem-solving and coping skills
