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Children and Art Therapy

 

Behaviors that were thought to be long gone may reappear such as, lying, bedwetting, thumb sucking etc. They also experience aggression or irritability, more than usual with siblings and friends. ADHD may develop like issues with concentration and focus and dissociation is also and effect of trauma in children. Children are less verbal so art or creative treatments access the right brain neural processes and therefore can help the child express emotions dis- regulations -an unbalancing of limbic system. .
             The main objective for treatment is to make sure the therapist creates a safe therapeutic environment between the child and the adult. Then the therapist must regulate appropriate actions to access the emotional balance of the child. Re- stabilizing attachment (interpersonal) relationships is a key factor for some children to be able to cope with their trauma. Then enhance the executive functioning of the brain. Access the frontal lobe by reframing the trauma experience within in a normative way. For example, the child is now safe and in control, the therapist has reframed and integrated cognitively effective somatic sequelae.
             "It is so difficult to put the complexities of the trauma recovery process into words-artwork does this much better!" – Joan Turkus, M.D. Because children are less verbal, the best alternative seems to be art therapy. While many forms of therapy continue to emerge to treat those who have experienced trauma, art therapy is one that has been proven by a number of studies to be effective in dealing with the aftereffects of trauma. (Douglas Mitchell, MFTI). A common occurrence after a person has experienced trauma is a hesitancy or inability to discuss the event out loud or verbally, even in a safe environment created by a therapist. Children often repress all their thoughts and feelings. In expressive arts therapy, words are not necessary. This serves as a bridge between the child and the therapist and allows for a therapist to access the emotions of the child in a way that is comfortable for him or her.


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