Drawing and Talking Therapy is a safe and gentle therapeutic intervention. It provides an effective way for children and young people to process emotional pain or trauma they may be experiencing. It is considered a very simple but highly effective tool, that has the power to make the child feel emotionally better, and more resilient.
Too frequently, we have observed a child who may be displaying unhealthy behaviours, at school or at home, who doesn’t have the necessary language to express themselves. It often comes out in other ways, such as anger, violence, sadness, anxiety, withdrawal.
When a child has a piece of paper in front of them, and is given the freedom to draw whatever they like without interruption, this frees the right side of the brain allowing emotions and worries to be expressed. Talking about their drawings in a safe and secure environment can help the child make sense of what is going on in their internal world.
Why is this therapeutic intervention so effective?
The human brain is made of up of the left side and right side each responsible for different aspects of our behaviour and functions. The left side being in control of our language, logic, organisation, sequencing (movement of time) and is the side of the brain which is closely linked with our conscious mind. Whereas the right side is more closely linked with our unconscious mind and is responsible for our creativity, imagination, physical and sensory behaviours and functions.
Knowing how the brain works then is an important part of understanding that if you experience a trauma the functions of the left brain shut down and this is what is known as ‘shock’ - your body’s way of self -protection in the moment. Common sayings such as ‘time stood still’ or ‘I was lost for words’ when recalling traumatic or shocking events, are both good examples of helping to convey what happens to you in this situation and how you lose your ability to use language, logic, organisation and sequencing skills as you normally would.
However, this is all well and good at protecting you at the time but what happens to the traumatic images you have witnessed and/or experienced. Research shows that that traumatic memories are stored in the part of the brain that is not directly reached by talking on its own. It is the right side of the brain where powerful emotional memories are stored. There is also a misconception that ‘bad’ memories can be ‘dead and buried’ but this is not the case as old, painful memories are still live and dangerous, until they are safely processed and this is what Drawing and Talking Therapy has the power to do.
The Power of Drawing
The power of drawing is it enables a child to express, in a visual form, worries from deep in the mind that they would not be able to talk about. “If only they would just tell me what is wrong” … teachers and parents will say to children. But the point is, very often children just don’t know themselves, at a conscious level. The unconscious, deeper mind always knows though, it is all stored away.
Drawings enable symbolic and safe expression of deep worries and feelings. Through the combination of drawing and talking, the different sides of the brain can interact with each other to problem solve. Over time with an empathic adult giving the child attention and talking with them in a gentle, thoughtful and supportive way, the child can create a story through the pictures that helps them to sort things out – a symbolic resolution.
It is crucial to stress, in the context of ‘Drawing and Talking’ that the drawings produced are not judged or measured in terms of artistic ability. Drawing with talking are tools for emotional healing and not for producing an art masterpiece.
Drawing and Talking empowers providers who support communities to respond to children and young people with additional or complex mental health needs, who aren’t currently receiving support from specialist mental health services.
The attachment-based intervention is playful in practice but serious in solutions.
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The formation of secure attachments creates a secure base for children and young people to not only explore but also seek emotional guidance from, which is particularly powerful as in many cases this will not already exist, and likely not at the deep level that Drawing and Talking facilitates.
​The creation of safe spaces allows children and young people who access Drawing and Talking the opportunity to feel that world can be and is a safe space for them.
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The unique skills and set up taught on the foundation course equips practitioners with the
skills needed to facilitate this, which can lead the stronger and longer lasting positive feelings towards the others and potentially help where engagement is a pre-existing concern.
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The combination of secure attachments and safe spaces that Drawing and Talking can create for children and young people can facilitate internal processing of pain or trauma. This is not cognitive or logic based work. Support staff are often sent to support the same children and young people again and again, frequently with little to no success. Despite being simple to deliver, Drawing and Talking can influence the way the brain’s neural pathways and body’s nervous system operate and respond, creating lasting effects.
It’s not magic, just human connection.
Drawing and Talking Therapy should not be used to replace other specialist services, such as CAMHS, Psychotherapy, Art or Play therapy but can be used as an interim tool whilst waiting to be seen by CAMHS or other professionals and can also be used after referral has been completed to complement external agencies.
How are sessions organised?
Sessions will be 1 to 1, and will be weekly, organised into a 12 week course.
Sessions are currently available from 3pm until 3.30pm, Monday to Friday
Sessions will be on the same day and at same time each week.
A 12 week course costs £300.