Be sure to read to the end of this post for instructions on how to enter a giveaway! For a lot of kids – and even adults – sitting still is a hard thing to do! When kids are expected to sit still through a class or in an hour long therapy session, many of them get restless, start daydreaming, or squirm around in their seat. For kids with ADHD or anxiety problems, it’s even harder to try to stay focused. When kids come to see me for therapy, many of them have trouble sitting still if we’re … [Read more...]
Art and Self-care
I’m writing this blog post on vacation, so it's been a great week to focus on art and self-care in my own life. Of course, writing my blog on vacation is not exactly a great example of self-care because I’m still working, but at least I’m working on a beautiful balcony in New Mexico, enjoying the breeze and a view of the Sandia Mountains. During the first few days of our trip, we crammed in a lot of sightseeing and activities. While this was a lot of fun, it was not exactly relaxing. On the … [Read more...]
Listening to Your Feelings and Needs — Art Therapy Ideas
I recently got a great handout from a training, and I have been using it in a lot of my sessions as a starting point for discussion, a tool for clients to take home, and a prompt for art therapy interventions. The handout is a list of feelings and needs from www.wiseheartpdx.org and is used as part of the Non-Violent Communication method. I haven’t received more than a brief introduction to NVC, but this handout seems to be a great tool for anyone to use as a way to enhance identification and … [Read more...]
How to Talk to Kids About Their Art
If you’re like most caring adults, when a kid shows you their artwork, your natural response is to say something nice to them about it – “Good job!” or “That’s so beautiful!” As well-intentioned as these comments are, they actually NOT helpful if we want to encourage creative expression in kids, both at home and in therapy. If you’re surprised by this, here are a few things to consider… Children should make art based on their own ideas, interests, and creativity. Providing praise … [Read more...]
Make An On-The-Go Art Kit for Travel
By the time this post goes up, I’ll be on vacation in Canada. As I was preparing to pack (and thinking about what to write in advance for this blog), I decided that I would share about my travel art kit. If you’re a creative therapist, you hopefully make some time for your own art-making in your life. So, you may have occasion to be packing some traveling art supplies, either to bring on a trip or to carry around in your bag to use when you have free time. (If you’re not making art, you … [Read more...]
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