Art Therapy
Art Therapy offers a safe relaxed space for children to express themselves through creativity and play.
Sessions work on the basis that it can be easier to address difficult emotions through art than talking about them directly. In sessions, art therapists offer support and help children get a better understanding of their worries and concerns.
Children can find the process of creating, playing, and making relaxing. It can offer relief from any stress or anxiety they may be feeling and it can help with building confidence and coping skills.
Read about our three types of Art Therapy below!
Referrals for North Ayrshire Art Therapy
Please note new referrals for one-to-one Art Therapy in North Ayrshire are currently paused to reduce the length of waiting time between referral and meeting one of our therapists.
We are still taking referrals for Family Approach and Group Art Therapy.
For more information, please contact: arttherapy@impactarts.co.uk
One-to-one Art Therapy
Over a number of sessions, we will work with you in a confidential setting to help you to explore how you are feeling and what might be troubling you. Perhaps you have experienced changes at home, in school, or with friends that you are finding tricky.
We know that it can sometimes be difficult to put all this down in words. Working with our fully trained therapists, we will support you to find other ways to express and communicate these feelings. It might be by putting paint on paper, using puppets to tell a story or using drawings to tell others how you feel.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to be an artist, and we don’t ‘mark’ your work. Instead, we use art as a way as exploring the things that can help you. Â
Family Approach
Family Approach involves a child and their parent or carer in joint sessions with a focus on strengthening their relationship through mutual understanding.
It allows both children and parents and carers to process their own emotions and develop positive coping skills, and for parents and carers to better understand their child’s social and emotional needs.
Therapeutic Group Work
Therapeutic Group work is ideal for children who are experiencing difficulties at school or home e.g. difficulty with transitions or engaging with their peers, communication difficulties, bullying, etc.
Small groups of children experiencing similar issues are supported by art therapists to build confidence, overcome social difficulties, and learn strategies for regulating behaviours through a series of therapeutic arts sessions. A crucial element of this work is to make sure this is a fun, positive, and supportive experience and not a stigmatised ‘therapy’ group.
Meet our Art Therapists
Danielle Devin
Lead Art Therapist & Clinical Supervisor
Emilija Mecelicaite
Art Therapist
Art Therapy Funding
If you access Self Directed Support in the Glasgow area, you may be able to use your funding for a range of different support. This may include something like Art Therapy, where this has been identified as something that meets your needs in your assessment, meets your Personal Outcomes, and is agreed with your Social Worker.
The SDS legislation and Statutory Guidance supports people to use their personal budgets in any way that is legal and that is related to meeting their agreed personal outcomes. People can be flexible about how they spend their budgets. Social Work practitioners can encourage people to think creatively and flexibly about how to do this.
You can learn more about Self Directed Support by accessing the SDS Handbook here. You can also find details of your local Independent Support for SDS by doing a search on the ‘Find Help with SDS’ database here. You can also find details on the SDS Standards here. You should also check with your local arrangements/processes within your local authority.
