The idea
Mental health problems can leave people disadvantaged through their whole life. More people than ever need help but NHS services are overloaded. Those who can't afford private therapy struggle on alone.
We offer free counselling & art and play therapy in Blacon, Lache & Kingsway, working in local, easily accessible venues like schools & community centres. Many clients have experienced significant trauma in their lives & most of our younger clients are still dealing with the covid pandemic impact. It’s resulted many issues: challenges with communications & interacting with peers/ others outside the home; rising anxiety levels; falling resilience & ability to cope. These factors all have a negative impact on school attendance & performance.
Art and play therapies help younger clients in particular understand & express emotions, feelings & experiences. Our therapist will enable children/young people to express themselves through 2 of their main forms of communication: play & art.
What we'll deliver
- 370 art and play therapy sessions for young clients from low-income families
Why it's a great idea
Our therapy is easy to access & isn't time limited. The focus is on long-term healing rather than temporary symptom reduction. We recognise parental trauma & adversity can have a profound effect on children. As a result, we sometimes work with more than one member of a family to ensure real change. Positive changes in one person's mental health can have significant benefits for the rest of their family, amplifying the impact 3-4 times.
Feedback tells us our therapy helps children & young people build greater self-esteem, self-belief & resilience. It enables them to develop strategies to deal with issues they face. Many go on to make specific changes in their life. These include strengthening/rebuilding relationships with family, friends & peers, making successful transitions from primary to high school, & going to school/college when this has previously been difficult or impossible. For some clients who’ve faced significant trauma, our services have literally been lifesaving.
Steps to get it done
- Contact referrers to remind them of criteria and how to make referrals into our service
- Deliver play/art therapy sessions
