Art therapy can be a gentle and effective way to help enhance and improve a child's emotional well being. While art therapy for children is often used by psychologists and other health professionals who deal with traumatised children and those who suffer from serious mental health conditions, it can also be an excellent way to help children heal from many other difficulties they face in early life.

What Is Art Therapy?

All forms of art therapy employ art materials and other artistic media in order to encourage children to express their inner thoughts and feelings through the creative processes. There are two general categories of art therapy, both of which are considered by health professionals to be effective:

• Most mental health professionals agree that the creative process of art is inherently therapeutic. There are different theories regarding why this is so, but many researchers argue that society pressures children from an early age to develop their cognitive skills to the detriment of their imaginative skills. This creates an emotional imbalance that art can help correct.
• Psychotheraists use art therapy as a tool in order to explore the symbolic content of the art produced by children. Trained therapists can establish communication with troubled children through discussing their art with them in a non-threatening way. In this way, many emotional issues the child may be either afraid to express or even not be aware of having can be addressed.

What Problems Can Art Therapy for Children Address?

Art therapy is used for a variety of childhood disorders, ranging from traumas to serious mental disorders. Some of the more common reasons for seeking the help of an art therapist include:

• Bed wetting
• Grief and bereavement
• Emotional problems such as bullying or introversion
• Dealing with life threatening diseases such as cancer
• Sexual abuse
• Learning disabilities
• Autism
• Schizophrenia
• ADHD

How Do I Choose an Art Therapist?

Encouraging children to practice art doesn't require specialised training and can be of enormous benefit to them. Because creating art can be therapeutic in itself, a supportive teacher or parent can encourage children in expressing themselves through art. Many art therapists have received diplomas in effective forms of art therapy and are qualified to bring out the creative best in children.

If you are seeking help for a serious childhood disorder, you may need the help of a fully qualified, registered art therapist. ANZATA, the Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association, requires art therapists to have at least a two year masters degree and 750 supervised hours of supervised clinical work before it grants registration to an art therapist. If you are in doubt about whose assistance would be of greatest benefit to your child, ask a trusted health care provider.

Find an art therapist in your local area.