Individual Art Psychotherapy For Teens
For your child, this is a time of growing pains and transformation.
With navigating school, extracurriculars, physical and mental changes, hormones, peer relationships, and daily chores, you may notice that your teen is struggling to cope.
Additionally, perhaps your teen identifies with gender identities or sexualities that are different from what you expected, and while you want to be supportive and understand, they emphasize that you don’t understand, creating further disconnection between you.
Whether your teen is struggling with challenging feeling experiences, feeling overwhelmed, isolating themselves, displaying troubling behaviors, exploring their gender or sexuality, or feeling insecure within themselves, Art Psychotherapy (Art Therapy) can help.
How art making can help your child
For many teens, being able to clearly verbalize and make sense of their challenges and feelings can be difficult. Whether they fear being shamed, judged, or fear getting in trouble, it can be difficult for teens to trust the therapeutic process and space. This is where art comes in.
Therapeutic art-making can be an incredibly helpful tool with gently breaking down emotional walls; especially around navigating challenging feelings and life experiences. In addition, therapeutic art can help your teen express express themselves in ways they may have not been able to in words, get more in touch with themselves, and boost their self esteem.
When teens experience feelings that make them feel out of control, taking that experience and confining it to paper or another modality to hold for them, can create a unique sense of safety.
Building a therapeutic relationship matters!
As a therapist, I understand the importance of creating a therapeutic space that feels safe and free of judgement. Providing a space where your teen can share and create openly is essential to doing effective therapy work.
I believe that when we are deeply listened to with empathy, compassion, and curiosity, it gives us the confidence and safety we need to change and make new choices. I also believe your teen already possess the strengths they need navigate the challenges they are facing. Together, your teen and I can build on those strengths so they can come home to a stronger authentic sense of self.