Art Psychotherapy explained
Art Psychotherapy offers a space for those experiences that are too difficult to articulate verbally, where meaning-making can be gained through creative processes.
What is Art Psychotherapy?
Sometimes feelings are too big, too confusing, or too difficult to put into words. Art Psychotherapy offers children and young people a safe, confidential therapeutic space where they can explore their experiences through art-making alongside talking, at their own pace.
Art Psychotherapy is an established form of psychotherapy practised by HCPC-registered Art Psychotherapists. It uses art as the primary mode of communication, alongside the therapeutic relationship, to support emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Does our child need to be good at art or crafts?
Children and young people do not need to be artistic or have any previous experience of making art. The focus is not on creating beautiful artwork or learning artistic skills, but on using creativity to express thoughts, feelings and experiences that can sometimes be difficult to communicate in words.
How do we know our child needs this help?
Children often communicate naturally through play, creativity and imagery. For many young people, making art can feel less direct than talking and can provide another way of exploring anxiety, low mood, trauma, loss, neurodivergence, family change, school difficulties or relationship challenges. Sessions are tailored to the individual, with some children choosing to spend more time making art, others talking, and many moving naturally between the two.
Art Psychotherapy can support children and young people experiencing a wide range of emotional, behavioural and psychological difficulties. These include anxiety, depression, trauma, bereavement, emotional regulation difficulties, attachment and relationship challenges. It can also offer a supportive and safe space for those who are neurodivergent, have school-related anxiety and those experiencing significant life changes. Every therapeutic journey is unique, and sessions are shaped around the individual needs, strengths and goals of each child or young person.
How does it help?
At Now, Next & Then, we understand that behaviour is a form of communication. Art Psychotherapy offers another language through which children and young people can safely express experiences that may feel confusing, overwhelming or beyond words. Rather than interpreting artwork or looking for hidden meanings, we work collaboratively with each child to explore the personal significance their images hold for them. Within the safety of a trusting therapeutic relationship, creativity can become a way of developing emotional understanding, strengthening resilience and discovering new ways of making sense of their experiences.
We will always put your child or young person first
As with all specialisms within the Now, Next & Then service, we guarantee that our approach is entirely person-centred, meaning sessions are led by your child or young person, and what feels most important to bring. Advocacy is central to all that Now, Next & Then offers, so our Art Psychotherapist will ensure that your child or young person knows their experiences and feelings are validated.