Why art therapy?

A drawing is just a drawing.

Those whose children or teens have come to see me as clients and those of you who read my books and follow me on social media, know how much of a fan I am of play and art therapy so I thought I’d talk a bit about why.

Many of the children and teens who come to me with problems have already seen counsellors, sometimes from school and other times via their GP or CAMHs. They have been asked umpteen times “why” and often struggle to explain their feelings.

When they come into my room and see a sand tray, art materials, lego, play doh these are all familiar things, they aren’t threatening, they remind them of childhood and play. They smile broadly and immediately feel relaxed and that’s what I want. I don’t want to put them under pressure to explain or have to answer the same questions they’ve struggled with before.

By using art, I’m able to help them explore the ‘why’ through drawing or collage, choosing pictures to express how they feel, drawing their dreams, choosing animals, birds and s…