All kids love art or at least most kids do!

Oftentimes, children engage in art therapy in a professional setting to deal with trauma. Tricia Hart, M.A., ATR-BC, LPAT, states that Expressive Therapy is an integrative and mental health profession that enriches the lives of individuals and families through a creative process using applied psychological theory and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. She further states that art therapy is used in a variety of settings, such as mental health facilities, schools and even jails/prisons.

The good news is you don’t have to have any special training or talent to share art activities with your CASA children in a non-therapeutic setting such as the child’s home. You can start with simple materials such as pre-cut scrap cardboard (i.e. cereal or pizza boxes) cut into fun shapes, yarn scraps, glue crayons, markers, or construction paper.

Art projects can be a way to break the ice with your child or create something positive together for your child to keep.  Art activities can help you organize and interact with a larger sibling group as they engage in individual age-based art activities together.

Let your imagination guide you!

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For ideas/resources, visit these links:

https://intuitivecreativity.typepad.com/expressiveartinspirations/100-art-therapy-exercises.html

​https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/exc_020712.shtml

​https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/arts-and-health/201601/child-art-therapy-how-it-works