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Posted: 14th September 2022
Our new therapeutic programme in refuge includes animal therapy, counselling, art therapy and support groups for adults and children.
This year we have set up a wonderful new therapeutic programme in our domestic abuse refuges, to help children and their mothers recover from their experiences. The programme includes a range of fun and healing activities including art therapy, and to celebrate this we decided to hold an art competition to reflect on the children’s life at refuge over the summer holidays
Art therapy is valuable because it creates a safe space for children to express and explore their thoughts and feelings. Many children find it easier to express their emotions through drawing, painting, or other artistic forms than through words.
An art therapist can use the child’s art to better understand the child’s emotional responses and thoughts. They can guide the child to use creativity to deal with emotional issues. Art therapy can also help families who have lived through domestic abuse to heal together.
The children used paint, pencils, paper, and even their hands to create the pieces. They were all so encouraging and supportive of each other and praised all of the artwork when displayed! Lots of children were inspired by our Blackpool trip and drew their experiences during the day. For example, there were paintings of the beach which some children had experienced for the first time.
There was a magical feeling right in the heart of the building where CEO Sara Ward and trustees Melvena Anderson and Bozena Benton presented every child with a certificate and gift bag to thank them for producing a superb piece of artwork. Winners of each category were also chosen and given special prizes and a winning certificate – including the world’s most adorable sloth.
This was a brilliant idea from our Therapeutic Services team that brought together the motivation-building aspect of a competition with all of the benefits of art therapy whilst creating a summer activity that brought out the best in every child.
Here some feedback from one of the children about art therapy and the celebration event:
Many thanks to SCVO whose Emotional Wellbeing Programme grant funds our children’s therapeutic programme in refuge, which includes art therapy, counselling and a visiting therapy dog.
If you would like to support us to make work like this happen, you can donate online here or contact our fundraising team to get involved in our fundraising activities.