As Cathy Malchiodi says in her book, The Art Therapy Source Book: One gentle way to do this is by encouraging children to express their thoughts and feelings through art.

So how can we support children to work through these experiences in constructive ways? Often, we will notice changes in behaviour like angry outbursts, withdrawal, an inability to concentrate or lethargy.

Anxiety, stress or trauma may manifest as sensations in the body (body signals) like pains in the tummy, nail biting or hypervigilance, for example. Instead, complex emotions may end up being expressed in other ways. Sometimes it can be difficult for children to put words to what they are feeling. Parents may have tried to shield children from seeing or hearing too much, however they may have overheard conversations, listened to stories shared by friends or seen footage while out and about.

There’s also been lots of discussion and serious concern about the impact of climate change on the future of the planet. In Australia, for example, the media has been saturated with images of the devastating bushfires and their impact on people and animals. Even if children haven’t experienced distressing events directly, they are likely to have been exposed to news coverage on TV, radio, social media and other sources. When children return to school after the holidays, the playground is often abuzz with stories about road trips to visit grandparents, movies with friends, hanging out at the pool, bike rides, camping with family, conquering of computer games, shopping trips, BBQs or just mooching around in pyjamas.įor some children, however, the holidays may have also included experiences of trauma and loss. Helping children express emotions through art Posted: stories and narrative strengths Strengths Approach Supervision. Mental Health parenting Practice Reflection. choices Circles Client recording Community Couples depression Education. Storytelling Anxiety art therapy Body Signals Boys Caring Change.

Child drawing of house