Art Therapy

Art Therapy is a guided process where we use art-making and movement to access the knowledge held in the parts of the brain that governs our emotions, how we relate with others and memories that cannot be accessed by words. These parts of the brain can be accessed through images, colours, sound, aromas, movement and tactile experience which art can facilitate.

Sensory play and evidence-based art therapy allows children to express their emotions without words, process complex feelings and find relief for various challenges they may be facing.

These sessions create a safe space for children to begin to explore, identify and integrate these challenging feelings and sensations in new ways.

ART THERAPY FAQ’S FOR GROWN UPS

  • Art therapy can be helpful for people who cannot verbalise their feelings due to developmental, cognitive or other conditions or trauma. It has been proven to support children with Autism, ADHD, pre and non-verbal trauma, anxiety/depression and developmental delays and conditions.

    • Developing social skills

    • Supporting emotional regulation

    • Building fine and gross motor skills

    • Increased focus and attention

    • Identifying and expressing emotions

    • Building self-confidence

  • No, creating something beautiful or 'artistic' is not the aim of Art Therapy. It is a 'bottom-up' psychotherapy approach that encourages an awareness and exploration of our embodied experiencing, implicit memories, creativity and expression.

  • Art classes teach foundational art techniques using different mediums; while Art Therapy is art-making that takes place within a safe, therapeutic relationship that encourages expression, regulation and integration.

  • Sessions usually begin with orientation into the space, this can be through breathwork or other simple somatic exercises. Your Art Therapist will then either guide you through a process of art-making - working with different materials to support therapeutic outcomes. Or sometimes, you or your child have a strong sense of what you would like to work with. In some sessions, play therapy is offered as an alternative.

  • No, an Art Therapist doesn't interpret your work but companions you or your child towards your own strengths-based meaning making. They may offer things into the space however ultimately only the creator of the art can reveal its truth in the moment.

  • Yes, all artwork made can be taken home. Your therapist may seek consent to take photos to keep as documentation in your confidential case notes.

  • Art Therapy is covered by NDIS and schools can access Art Therapy as part of the Victorian State Government Schools Mental Health Menu under Tier 1: Positive Mental Health Promotion, Tier 2: Early Intervention Cohort Specific Support and Tier 3: Targeted Support.

ART THERAPY FAQ’S FOR CHILDREN

  • Art therapy is a space where we get to use all different types of art materials, sometimes just to play with, make things with or explore with all of our senses! We always get choices around what we want to do! Sometimes we make different shapes with our bodies to help us feel safe or think about things differently.

  • Sometimes our thoughts and feelings can get all muddled up (like toys in a toy box!) Art therapy helps us organise and untangle our body sensations and feelings so that we can feel better. Making art also helps us tell stories about our feelings that can sometimes be tricky or we don’t know the words for. And some kids like it because it’s a time where their bodies feel calm.

  • Art therapy can be lots of fun because we get to use all kinds of art materials and do fun activities. But it’s not always fun...sometimes we have to do some boring stuff to help our bodies feel better. And sometimes we feel uncomfortable while we untangle when our feelings and body get all mixed up. When this happens sometimes our brain can say “this is boring” or “i wanna get out of here!”

  • We always want you to have choice and autonomy (being able to do things by yourself!), but it’s always important to remember the difference between doing things we want to do and doing things we need to do. Things we NEED to do are often things that are good for us, like looking after our bodies. Art Therapy, while we hope it’s something we want to do, is more something we might need to do to help us work out and express our emotions, assist us with our relationships with our friends and family, and guide our bodies on what to do when things feel really yucky or scary or angry.

    It’s like going to the doctors, except we are looking after our emotional body and feelings. Instead of trying to heal or fix something like an illness, disease, or ouch-ee, we are looking after the things that live in our hearts—like all our memories, how we see ourselves and others, how we feel about ourselves and others, and our self-confidence.

  • Some children like art therapy because they get to have one on one time with a parent/caregiver with Rain helping us with different activities. It can be nice to play with them without having to share their attention!

    Some children like having one on one time with the therapist. It makes their bodies feel calm and they like the art materials.

    Some children come because their parents/caregivers think it might help them with their big feelings. Sometimes grown-ups do sessions with our therapist too to learn about their own big feelings and how to help everyone’s bodies feel better.

  • At the beginning it can be exciting to have all these new art materials to explore and play with. Over time though it becomes less about just doing something new and more about expressing our feelings in different ways!

  • When our therapist is talking with a parent/caregiver, it’s never ‘dobbing’ (telling on someone) and we don’t talk about private things shared in sessions.

    Almost always we are talking about how can we best help children be their best selves. Sometimes that might mean making some changes at home or at school so we don’t overwhelmed. Sometimes it’s about helping our parents/caregivers listen to feelings differently. Sometimes it might be something that the grown-ups are worried about and need some new ideas around...two heads are better than one!

  • Our therapists are not exactly our friends but they are definitely friendly! They’re not here to tell you what to do or how to do it! They don’t say things to your parents that will get you into trouble. They’re not like the other grown ups in your lives. They have one goal: to make sure that you have everything we need to feel safe and supported. Sometimes they talk to the other grown-ups in our lives to make sure they have everything they need to help us feel the same!