Art Therapy: Benefits for the Special Needs Population
Art therapy is an integrative mental health profession that engages the mind, body, and spirit through kinesthetic, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic opportunities. This form of expressive communication can circumvent the limitations of language, giving voice to experiences and empowering individuals from all walks of life. Goals of art therapy can include fostering self-esteem and self-awareness, promoting insight, reducing conflict or distress, and improving motor skills (AATA, 2018).
CBA is proud to offer art therapy to Lower, Middle, and Upper School students through our partnership with the Eastern Virginia Medical School Graduate Art Therapy and Counseling Program. Each semester, we host two interns from the program who collaborate with teachers and specialists to provide quality treatment to students who need a therapeutic, expressive outlet during the school day. EVMS interns meet with students in individual format, as well as diads and groups. The interns are supervised by Erin Blair, a registered art therapist, and CBA’s Upper School Art Teacher.
American Art Therapy Association (2018). Retrieved on 5/15/18 from www.arttherapy.org.
View full presentation: Art Therapy – Would my child benefit?
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Emphasizes the beauty of offering art therapy in diad form:
