Our art therapy team are focused on expression, healing and growing using a range of approaches, not just talking. Psychotherapy comes in all forms, and our art therapy sessions provide a great platform for children to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a non-threatening, creative, and individual way. Our art therapists bring their counselling skills to each session in addition to their gifts with creative expression, seeing all children and their families supported and guided through their personal experience.

The American Art Therapy Association describes art therapy as: ‘based on experiences and theories assumes that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression supports people’s handling of their problems’.

In our experience, each session teaches us something new about ourselves, our families and the work we do. The power of artistic creation and expression in not undervalued within the Spring Forward art therapy team. We can help with:

• Increasing self-esteem and self-awareness
• Emotional regulation and anger management
• Reducing stress
• Developing and implementing helpful coping mechanisms
• Supporting bereavement and acceptance
• Resolving past experiences and traumas
• Developing interpersonal skills

Psychodynamic Art Therapy

This approach takes a non-traditional perspective in helping children and adults express their feelings. Psychodynamic art therapy involves:

• Using art to express our thought and feelings in a non-verbally way
• Bringing unconscious thoughts and feeling to our conscious awareness
• Fostering understanding of the children’s thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in relation to their past experiences. (The current literature continues to focus on the importance of early childhood experiences in shaping our development through childhood, adolescence and adulthood)

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You Will Need:

• Paper
• Something to draw with (pencil, texta, crayon, paint) – it’s up to you!
• 1-5mins only

What does this mean?

Our aim is to provide each client and their family with a positive and collaborative experience engaging with our service.

Group Programs are a great way to work on a specific set of skills in a social setting with peers of a similar age and skill level. Groups are allocated based on need. NDIS funded and diagnosed children with developmental or behavioural challenges are in small groups. Private clients, with specific concerns or challenges who participate positively in a mainstream classroom are in larger groups. Some popular Art Therapy-developed groups include:

• Siblings Expressive Experience +

  This group was created with the Occupational Therapy team to support the ‘waiting room’ kids in our community. What is a waiting room kid? These are the siblings who sit in the waiting room while one or more of their siblings sees one of our therapy team members. These are children who are growing up in a home that experiences big feelings and unexpected choices, or whose sibling is not able to play and communicate in the same way as them.  

  The group is designed to help connect with other kids with shared experiences, while safely and creatively expressing their experiences and learning from them.  

  Who can attend?  

  Children whose siblings are currently or have previously been engaged in a complex or long term clinical, medical or therapeutic journey that had or continues to have an impact on their families time and schedules. Children who are able to be safe and remain within a group setting 

  Age: 5 years +  

• More programs to be announced soon!

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF GROUPS AND PROGRAMS

UNSURE?

Your Art Therapist or our knowledgeable Administration Team will be able to recommend a program that will work best for you and your child. CALL US TODAY!