My apologies that the blog has been inactive for so long! I knew that it had been a long time since I had posted, but did not realize until I logged in that it had been almost a year. Life got busy with running my private practice, preparing for a baby, and then welcoming my wonderful little guy into the world. However, things seem to have settled into a new rhythm and I sincerely hope to make more space in my life for self-care, art creation, and this blog. So, former readers - I hope you … [Read more...]
Sensory Tools for the Therapy Room
Having sensory items available can be very helpful for child clients, especially the younger ones. As these items are available for play and experimentation in the therapy room, children (and their parents) can learn what is interesting or soothing for them. This can be a helpful part of teaching young children emotional self-regulation. Parents can then provide these things at home, perhaps creating a special calming corner, to help the child in self-soothing and regulating when upset. In … [Read more...]
Joint Family Drawings: Verbal and Non-Verbal
Although I tend to use art therapy more with individual clients, I have lately had more opportunities to use art in family therapy, leading me to think more about family-focused interventions. One of the art therapy interventions that I learned as a graduate student at Loyola Marymount University was verbal and nonverbal joint family drawings. In Family Art Psychotherapy, Helen Landgarten proposed using this method as a standard family evaluation in the first session. In her evaluation, she … [Read more...]
Art Apps in Therapy: Part 2
In my last post, I shared about using tracing apps to encourage drawing for children who are hesitant or need to develop fine motor skills. Although these apps don't allow for much individual creativity, other drawing apps can be great for creating original artwork. I don't feel that digital artwork can or should replace traditional media, but it can provide a great alternative, especially when available art supplies are limited, children are reluctant to engage in traditional art, in order to … [Read more...]
Art Apps in Therapy: Part 1
Lately I have been experimenting with drawing, tracing, and art apps for use in therapy on my iPad. I don't believe that digital art can replace traditional art media but can be considered an additional tool for an art therapist, play therapist, or counselor. The past couple of weeks I have been trying out some tracing apps. Some of my young clients on the autism spectrum struggle with motor skills and lack confidence in their drawing ability. Although some children will happily scribble with … [Read more...]
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