ART THERAPY
Art therapy is a gentle yet transformative approach that can significantly reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation, enhance resilience and create lasting positive change. Creative expression offers a natural and non-threatening way to express complex emotions, work through challenging experiences, and foster developmental growth.
Art and creativity can become a communicative tool for meaningful conversations, healthy emotional processing and healing attachment with caregivers as well as connections with family members.
SUPPORTING PARENTS THROUGH THE ART THERAPY PROCESS
Art therapy helps parents understand their child's emotional and psychological needs.
Parent-child dyad therapy is an integral part of the process, where both parents and children work together to strengthen their attachment and improve communication. This therapy is beneficial for families dealing with ancestral or family trauma, as well as those navigating complex emotional dynamics such as adoption or foster care. By providing tools for setting healthy boundaries and fostering emotional connection, art therapy helps parents guide their children through difficult emotional experiences.
KEY BENEFITS OF ART THERAPY
EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION
​Art therapy helps children communicate complex emotions, build emotional vocabulary and literacy, and process traumatic and somatic memories. This practice soothes the nervous system, improves impulse control, and promotes self-regulation. Art therapy also engages sensory processing and integration, supporting the learning of social skills and psychomotor development.
SOMATIC & SENSORY BENEFITS
Somatic therapy supports both sensory processing and emotional regulation, helping children and adults soothe the body, brain, and mind. By improving motor coordination and enhancing body awareness, this approach helps foster self-esteem and explore identity. It also works to widen threshold tolerance for stress, develop relational and adaptive functioning, and promote healthy coping skills.
Somatic mindfulness specifically addresses the mental and emotional components of trauma in a safe, compassionate environment. It helps resolve psychosomatic concerns such as physical pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, irritability, and intrusive thoughts. By inviting mind-body awareness, somatic therapy encourages emotional and psychological healing from early traumatic experiences, enabling individuals to process and release tension stored in the body.
NEGOTIATING BOUNDARIES
Art therapy offers a safe space for both parents and children to explore and establish healthy boundaries. Sometimes, our responses to our children may not be helpful for their growth, but through creative expression, art therapy helps uncover these patterns. This approach makes it possible to set clear, consistent boundaries while still listening to your child, acknowledging their needs, and responding with empathy. Art therapy supports emotional growth by fostering stronger connections and healthier communication between parent and child.
BEHAVIOURAL CHALLENGES
Children often express challenging behaviours when they are struggling emotionally, but cannot find the words to express themselves. Art therapy helps identify the root causes of these behaviours and provides a safe space for children to explore and process their feelings. Through this process, children can learn how to regulate their emotions and respond to challenging situations in healthier ways. By fostering empathy and open communication, art therapy encourages positive behavioural change, helping children navigate their emotions in constructive ways.
OUR PROCESS
Our process ensures that we follow best practices for each child and their families, every single time. Although we follow a standard process, the help and care that your child receives will be as unique as they are.
NEXT STEPS
Once several therapy sessions have taken place and the child has met their goals as outlined in their support plan, your therapist will meet with you to review and discuss the next steps. This may include adjusting the support plan, continuing therapy sessions, referring to an additional resource to help reach new objectives, or celebrating your child's achievement of their goals!
THE ART THERAPY PLAYROOM
Your child will be given a tour of the playroom and oriented to the different choices and methods of expression. Our playroom hosts many therapeutic options, some of which include sandtrays, dollhouses, children's therapeutic books, puppets and dolls, natural wooden toys, and games.​
The playroom is a special place for children where non-directive art and sensory play unfold, providing them with opportunities to create a window for the therapist to witness their lived experience and the conflicts they may feel or perceive.
We understand that the safety and quality of the therapeutic relationship with the therapist are key ingredients to obtaining successful therapeutic outcomes.
GET IN TOUCH
If you believe art therapy could be beneficial for your child, we encourage you to reach out today. Together, we can support your child’s emotional growth and help them develop the skills they need to thrive.If you believe art therapy could be beneficial for your child, we encourage you to reach out today. Together, we can support your child’s emotional growth and help them develop the skills they need to thrive.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Offering appreciation for living, playing and working on this beautiful unceded traditional territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and Coast Salish people. Decolonized perspectives of practice invite traditional Indigenous knowledge systems as an important framework in this work while considering mental health as part of integral relationships with family, community and the Earth.