Creative Arts and Play Therapy - For Children and Young People
Children and young people often face unique challenges as they navigate the complexities of growing up. Difficulties at school or with their peer group, changes in the family situation, such as separation, relocation, physical or mental illness can interfere with a child or young person’s healthy development and may become visible through challenging behaviours such as anger outbursts, withdrawal or breakdown in communication. To have a safe therapeutic space where feelings and worries can be shared and understood, can make a real difference to children’s and young people well-being.
Some of the difficulties Creative Arts Therapy can help with:
- Anxiety
- Low mood or depression
- Trauma
- Selective mutism
- Low self esteem
- Identity issues
- Aggressive behaviour and anger
- Bullying or other forms of abuse
- Separation anxiety
- Bereavement and loss
- Issues with sexuality or gender identity
- Difficulties with communication and social interaction
- Attachment related issues
For Children:
A selection of toys, art materials and objects will be available to encourage children to express themselves freely. Play and creativity can bring a sense of joy and achievement and through play a relationship of trust between child and therapist is built. Play allows children to simply be who they are, whilst also providing their therapist with insights into their inner world. In the process, child and therapist together create a better understanding of what the child is struggling with, and better ways of coping are developed.
For Adolescents:
Adolescence is a time of great change, affecting physical, emotional, and neurological development. A greater level of independence and separation has to be accomplished and questions like ‘who am I?’ or ‘Who do I want to be?’ arise, alongside pressure to do well at school exams. It is a lot! And not surprisingly this can lead to a sense of overwhelm and anxiety. Therapy can offer young people the sensitive and steady support they need at this time of turbulence. Toys may have lost their attraction for young people, but other forms of playful and creative self-expression such as drawing can be very helpful additions to talking about what troubles them.
Neurodiversity
Creative Arts Therapy is an inclusive approach which meets each child and young person at their individual level of ability and need. The focus on nonverbal ways of communicating through art making, music and movement makes it a suitable intervention for children who find verbal communication more challenging.
Working in partnership with parents and carers
When things go well, parenting can be one of our greater sources of joy and fulfilment, but it can also be the cause of some of our greatest anxieties and worries. My approach to psychotherapy for children and young people is one of working in partnership with the parent(s) and carers to offer support to you as well as your child. It is helpful to understand the child’s difficulties and needs within the family context and we may therefore spend some time thinking about your concerns as a parent, what has brought you to seek therapy for your child and what your hopes for them are, before one to one work with your child would start. The exception to this is my work with older adolescents, where a greater level of independence is strived for and where I will subsequently be less involved with you as a parent.
First steps
I offer a free 20-minute phone call to understand what your concerns are and what help you would like for your child. From there we can decide how to continue and whether to arrange an initial meeting.
In an initial meeting we will have the chance to speak further about your concerns and your experience of your child’s problems. I will ask you some questions about your family history and you will be able to ask me any questions you have about therapy for your child.
Your child might attend the initial meeting with you, or we might decide that you come by yourself/ yourselves to start with. Sometimes, a single meeting can be sufficient, or a second meeting will be suggested. I will ensure that you feel well informed by the time I start seeing your child individually.
Fees: £80 per sessions
I can offer a concessionary rate for families on a low income, please feel free to ask me about this.
THERAPIST
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Katharina Eberle
Katharina is a qualified dance movement psychotherapist with over two decades experience, working with adults and children in different educational and social care settings as well as in private practice.