Why Art Therapy in Schools?
When pupils are experiencing emotional difficulties they find learning very hard and their inclusion in school life is affected. Art therapy as a form of intervention can assist an individual’s psychological, emotional, educational, social, and physical development.
Art Therapists can help identify new strategies for managing feelings, thoughts, and behaviour at home and at school. They can build resilience in the child; encourage and support them, their parents, and teachers; through the process of making positive change.
Art therapy can help improve behaviour, raise achievement, encourage attendance, and help pupils participate more fully in school life.
One of the most important settings for the promotion of a young person’s mental health and well-being is the school. Effective schools should therefore put systems in place to promote mental health and well-being and thus build resilience in both staff and students to help prepare them to cope with a range of life events.” Dept. of Education 2015
Who can Art therapy help?
Art Therapy benefits pupils who may be experiencing:
- exclusion,
- emotional or behavioural difficulties,
- social or communication difficulties,
- Struggling with particular life events such as bereavement,
- changes in family structure, and illness.
- Who are refugees or seeking asylum
- Who have suffered abuse, bullying or trauma
- learning difficulties or physical disabilities
- autism spectrum disorders
- child protection concerns including experience of abuse or exposure to domestic violence
- social, peer communication and speech and language difficulties.
Art therapy can help improve behaviour, raise achievement, encourage attendance, and help pupils participate more fully in school life.
There is overwhelming evidence that students learn more effectively, including their academic subjects, if they are happy in their work, believe in themselves, their teachers and feel school is supporting them (Weare, 2000)
How does Art Therapy actually work in real time?
The needs of the child will determine the length of time he or she will need to come for Art Therapy. Some children just need 8 weeks to help them adjust to life circumstances or to explore and integrate a particular issue. Other children are better served by a long term relationship in the therapy setting.
