Art Therapy
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a form of therapy in which art materials are used to express thoughts, feelings, inner conflicts and confusions which can then be shared and reflected upon with the art therapist. You do not have to be good at art to use this process. Art therapy can help people express themselves especially when it is hard to talk about something which is upsetting or frightening.
Who is the service offered to?
The service is offered to women who have experienced domestic abuse or children and young people aged from 4 to 17 years old whose mother’s are currently receiving support from North Derbyshire Women’s Aid. (NDWA)
How does it work?
The art therapist usually works with individual women or children but sometimes family or group therapy may be considered if it is more appropriate. To begin with you will be offered an initial art therapy assessment to find out whether art therapy is going to be helpful for you. After the initial assessment the length and time of therapy is discussed. Sessions last for an hour and regular reviews are made to make sure the client is happy with the service. For children and young people parents/carers are involved in these reviews.
Benefits
Art therapy may help in many ways. It can enable you to bring out difficult, unspoken or uncomfortable feelings, through paint, clay or other media. This in itself can be therapeutic and confidence building. In turn this may bring about change and reduce the impact of underlying difficulties. Children and young people may develop new coping strategies, ways of communicating their needs and ways of understanding themselves and others.
How to contact us?
Your mum or carer can talk to someone about art therapy by dropping in or telephoning our Advice Centre helpline. You or your mum/ carer can also talk to any other NDWA worker who they are working with about referring you to art therapy.
Drop in:
West Bank House, Albion Road, Chesterfield, S40 1LL
Monday to Thursday 10:00am till 4:00pm
Telephone:
Helpline –Derbyshire Domestic Abuse 24 hour Freephone Helpline-08000198668 or local number 01246 540444
Monday to Friday 10:00am till 4:00pm
Agency/office line - 01246 540464
Monday to Friday 9:30am till 5:00pm

Advice Centre Art Therapy Room