Imagine your child is struggling with overwhelming emotions. Maybe they’re having a hard time focusing in school, or they’re constantly dealing with intense anger or sadness. How do you help them?
One approach is to work with them on mindfulness and distress tolerance. This can be done through art therapy, which can help children tap into their emotions and explore them in a safe, supportive space. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of mindfulness and art therapy, and we’ll also share some tips on how to get started.
What Is Mindfulness and Distress Tolerance?
Mindfulness is considered an underlying factor in distress tolerance. What this means is that if we can be more mindful of our thoughts and feelings, we’re in a better position to tolerate distress without reacting in ways that are harmful to ourselves or others.
Distress tolerance is a set of skills that can help us do just that. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy that has been shown to be especially effective in helping people learn these skills. One of the key elements of DBT is its focus on emotion regulation.
Radical acceptance is a DBT distress tolerance skill relying on mindfulness. It’s about accepting things as they are, even if we don’t like them or don’t want them to be that way. This can be difficult, but with practice it can lead to a much more peaceful and contented state of mind.
How Can Art Therapy Help Children Develop Mindfulness and Distress Tolerance?
One of the ways in which art therapy can help children develop mindfulness and distress tolerance is by giving them a safe space to explore their feelings and emotions. During sessions, children are free to express themselves in any way they want, without judgement or criticism. This can be beneficial, as it allows children to build up a rapport with their therapist and learn to trust them. Over time, this can help children to open up about difficult topics and experiences, which can in turn help them to develop mindfulness and distress tolerance.
DBT works to train patients in skills that can regulate extreme distress. One of these skills is mindfulness, which is the act of being present in the moment and paying attention to your thoughts and feelings. When practiced regularly, mindfulness can help you to become more aware of your triggers and learn how to deal with them in a healthy way. Distress tolerance is another skill that is taught in DBT. This skill helps you to cope with difficult emotions and situations in a healthy way. When faced with stress or trauma, it can be difficult to know how to react. Distress tolerance skills can help you to stay calm and grounded during these tough moments.
Both mindfulness and distress tolerance skills can be useful for children who are struggling with difficult emotions or experiences. By teaching these skills in a safe and supportive environment, art therapy can help children to develop mindfulness and distress tolerance.
Strategies for Facilitating Art Therapy Sessions to Build Mindful Awareness
When working with children, it is important to find strategies that facilitate mindfulness and distress tolerance. One way to do this is using art therapy.
Mindfulness-based art therapy combines art with mindfulness to help improve psychological issues. In this type of therapy, the therapist will ask the child to engage in a quiet activity, such as coloring or drawing. The therapist will then ask the child to become aware of their physical sensations, their thoughts, and their daily routines. This helps the child learn to cultivate moments of awareness, which can be a curative mechanism that transcends diagnosis.
It is also important for the therapist to be aware of their own triggers and be able to manage their emotions. This is because the therapist is often seen as a role model for the child. If the therapist is not able to manage their own emotions, it will be difficult for the child to learn how to do so.
Cultivating Distress Tolerance Through Art Therapy
One of the best things about art therapy is that it can help you to cultivate distress tolerance. Distress tolerance is the ability to accept both positive and negative emotions without trying to change them. It’s about learning to sit in discomfort and ride out the storm.
And while this might sound counter-intuitive, it’s an incredibly important skill to have. Because when we try to suppress our negative emotions, they tend to come back even stronger. But when we learn to accept them and move through them, they lose their power over us.
So how does art therapy help with this? Well, first, the act of making art can be incredibly soothing in and of itself. And secondly, it can provide a space for you to express your emotions in a non-verbal way.
So if you’re feeling angry, sad, or scared, you can express those emotions through your artwork. And in doing so, you can begin to understand them and make peace with them. As a result, you’ll become better equipped to deal with them when they arise in everyday life.
Art Activities to Promote Mindful Awareness and Distress Tolerance
Here are some specific art activities that you can do to promote mindful awareness and distress tolerance in children:
- Drawing your breath: This is a mindfulness exercise that can be done with any medium. Have the child sit comfortably and close their eyes. instruct them to breathe in for a count of four, then hold their breath for a count of four, and then exhale for a count of four. After they exhale, have them open their eyes and start drawing. The goal is to be as present as possible and focus on the act of drawing, not on the finished product.
- The 3-2-1 exercise: This is a distress tolerance exercise that can be done with any medium. The goal is to help children identify and express their feelings in a creative way. First, have the child think of three things they can see, then two things they can touch, and then one thing they can smell. Once they’ve identified these things, have them start creating their art piece.
- The blank canvas: This is an exercise for children who are having trouble getting started with their artwork. Give them a blank canvas and instruct them to just start painting or drawing whatever comes to mind, without overthinking it. The goal is to just let the creative juices flow and not worry about perfection.
Where to Find Children’s Art Therapy, especially in the NDIS Space or Near You
There are a few ways you can find children’s art therapy near you. The best way is to ask your GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, or another mental health professional if they could refer you to an art therapist in your area.
If you’re in Australia and have a NDIS plan, you can also search for “art therapists near me” or “art therapists in the NDIS space”. This should bring up a list of art therapists who are registered with the NDIS and who offer services in your area.
You can also check out the website of the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA), which has a list of accredited art therapists around Australia.
Conclusion
If your child is showing signs of emotional distress, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. However, art therapy can be a great way to help your child work through their problems in a safe and supportive environment. If you’re not sure whether art therapy is right for your child, talk to your therapist to see if they offer this form of therapy.
