While the structure provided in school settings can be beneficial to some students, for those who feel limited or confined, art therapy group can provide a rare opportunity for children and teens to express themselves freely in an achievement driven environment. Art education focuses on teaching students technical skills with various mediums. While art therapy, instead, promotes the idea that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to create art. Art therapy directives ask students to be mindful of their experience with the process rather than judging their success based on the product.

Examples of art therapy directives include going outdoors to make nature mandalas using found materials and doing projects like process painting in which students layer/add to their paintings each week, allowing the art to transform over time. Additionally, the art therapist will often reinforce that there are no grades given in art therapy group to remind students that they are safe to create without fear of failure. These factors all contribute to artmaking being therapeutic for students with autism, ADHD, or learning differences as well as those who find anxiety is heightened in the school setting due to the pressure to perform well academically starting at a young age.

I am fortunate enough to travel to Louisa County Public Schools to lead art therapy groups within the school day. My role has been to connect with teachers and students to better their experience of school while allowing them time and space to express through art. If you are interested in discussing art therapy in schools further, please contact us for more information.