Creative Healing for Children, Teens & Adults

What is Art Therapy?

Art Therapy is an integrative mental health therapy that combines the creative process of art-making with psychotherapeutic techniques. Art therapy uses art materials, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, manage behaviour, reduce anxiety, increase self-esteem, and achieve personal insight in a safe, welcoming, and judgment free setting. 

How Art Therapy Can Help You or Your Child

Engaging in Art Therapy provides a unique avenue for expression and healing, especially when words are hard to find or expressed. It bypasses verbal limitations and allows emotions, experiences, and thoughts to surface in a safe, tangible way. 

Our Coquitlam art therapists at Touch Brain Counselling utilize this approach to support individuals dealing with a wide variety of concerns, including:

• Emotional Regulation: Learning to understand, manage, and express feelings like anger, sadness, or frustration constructively.
• Anxiety and Stress Reduction: Using creative processes to calm the nervous system and develop coping mechanisms.
• Trauma Processing: Safely exploring and integrating experiences related to childhood or adult trauma (PTSD) in a non-verbal way.
• Depression and Mood Disorders: Providing an outlet for expression and facilitating exploration of underlying feelings.
• Self-Esteem and Confidence Building: Fostering a sense of accomplishment and self-worth through creative success.
• Behavioural Challenges: Understanding triggers and developing alternative ways of responding.
• Social Skills Development: Especially effective in group settings for practicing interaction and empathy.
• Grief and Loss: Processing complex emotions related to bereavement in a symbolic and personal manner.
• Neurodiversity Support: Offering alternative communication and processing methods for individuals with Autism or ADHD.
• Family and Relationship Dynamics: Exploring interpersonal patterns and improving communication through shared creative experiences (in family art therapy).

One-on-One Art Therapy for Kids & Teens

In individual sessions at our Coquitlam clinic, the art therapist works directly with your child or teen, tailoring activities to their specific needs and developmental stage. This focused attention helps build rapport and allows for deep exploration of issues like anxiety, school stress, peer relationships, self-esteem, or behavioural concerns. The therapist uses various art directives and materials to facilitate expression and insight.

Group Art Therapy Sessions

Group Art Therapy provides a supportive peer environment where children or teens can connect with others facing similar challenges. Under the guidance of an art therapist, group members engage in creative activities that foster social skills, empathy, communication, and shared learning. It can be a powerful way to reduce feelings of isolation and build confidence in social settings.  

Understanding the Creative Process in Art Therapy

A common misconception is that you need artistic talent to benefit from Art Therapy – this is absolutely untrue! The emphasis is on the process of creating and exploring, not the final product's aesthetic quality. Your therapist may suggest different materials (paint, clay, collage, drawing tools) based on therapeutic goals. Engaging with these materials, making choices, and seeing what emerges can unlock subconscious thoughts, provide emotional release, offer new perspectives, and foster significant self-discovery and healing.

Who Can Benefit from Art Therapy at Touch Brain Counselling?

Art Therapy is adaptable and beneficial for a wide range of individuals across the lifespan here in Coquitlam. It can be particularly helpful for:

• Children and teens struggling with emotional or behavioural issues.
• Individuals who find it difficult to express themselves verbally.
• Those experiencing anxiety, depression, or high levels of stress.
• Survivors of trauma or abuse.
• Neurodivergent individuals (including Autism and ADHD) seeking alternative processing methods.
• Anyone seeking greater self-awareness and personal growth.

Get Started with Art Therapy in Coquitlam & Tri-Cities

Ready to explore the benefits of creative healing? Taking the first step towards Art Therapy at Touch Brain Counselling is simple. Contact our Coquitlam clinic today to schedule an initial consultation. We'll discuss your needs, answer your questions, and determine if Art Therapy is the right approach for you or your child. We proudly serve clients from Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, and surrounding areas.