Two days of presentations through the Children’s Grief Awareness Symposium provided concrete tools and relevant information, so glad I took part! Feeling fortunate to have more tools in my tool box to support grieving children and youth. Topics I attended were about the death of a sibling or parent, the complexities of children’s grief, grief experiences of Indigenous youth, how grief presents in very young children, grief in the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and understanding anticipatory grief.
I’m looking forward to attending this important offering of workshops about supporting grieving children and families. Grief practitioners from across Canada deliver workshops over two days on many, many topics. Check it out!
https://www.grievingchildrencanada.org/index.php/grief-symposium
Feeling grateful for the Refinery inviting me to offer another Growing the Good session January 25th from 7-9:30 pm. Participants reframe challenging situations by shifting negative perceptions to resources of personal strength and wisdom. Check out all the other wonderful Refinery offerings!
https://www.emmanuelrefinery.org/grow-with-us/classes
Adapted from Lisa Mitchell.
Kids with autism often have strengths in the areas of non-verbal reasoning, creativity, imagination, and spatial relations. They can tap into these strengths through art therapy while being supported in other areas such as communication, social skills, motor skills, and self-regulation. Check out the documents below for more information about how children and youth with autism can benefit from art therapy.
UPDATE: Saskatchewan Health now allows families to use their Individualized Funding for art therapy. To be reimbursed for art therapy costs, children/youth need to be recommended for art therapy by their consultant or mental health staff at Autism Services Saskatoon, an Autism Service Provider or by a regulated professional within a school division, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, or the Athabasca Health Authority.
The list of approved services is reviewed annually. Art therapy becoming an approved service would mean families could contact Saskatchewan art therapists directly without needing a recommendation from a service provider.
To express your support for art therapy becoming an approved service, send a message to autismregistry@health.gov.sk.ca
The ASK workshop for assessing suicide in children and youth aged 5-14 years just wrapped up. Thanks to ABK Wellness for an informative and relevant workshop that covered topics such as warning flags, protective factors, coping styles, and approaches for having conversations about suicide with young people and families. Even though death by suicide among youth under 14 years of age is not common – 46 were recorded in 2018* – suicide is on the minds of many young people who come to art therapy and, understandably, a very big concern for their families. The ASK workshop provided me with additional tools and information to better support young people and their families when suicide is a concern.
For more information about the workshop visit: https://www.abkwellness.ca/assessing-suicide-in-kids
*For more information about youth and suicide visit: https://www.suicideinfo.ca/resource/children-and-suicide/
In response to people of all ages who I’ve met and are at risk of suicide, I designed a business-card-size safety plan to be easily available – for example in a pocket or wallet – when someone has thoughts of suicide. You’re welcome to download and print the card for anyone who might benefit from having a reminder close at hand of personal resources and 24/7 help lines: https://dianneshannonarttherapy.ca/resources/
Just received marks for my final class of Mount Royal University’s Addiction Studies Extension Certificate. I took this program to better support the many individuals who come to art therapy and have experienced some aspect of addiction. The six online classes covered topics such as the effects of addictions on individuals, youth, families, and the brain as well as concurrent disorders and treatment.
Something I’ve noticed over the years is that there doesn’t seem to be enough support for youth who have an addicted parent, so I’m pleased to pass along a link that was shared in class to a guide produced by Starlings in Calgary:
Many friends and family over the past few years have been confronted with a cancer diagnosis and treatment, so I decided to go through the American Art Therapy Association’s outcomes-based research bibliography for information about art therapy’s efficacy for cancer patients. The articles I found are listed in the attached pdf file for those of you who are also interested. A Google search of “cancer and art therapy” will also bring up many, many examples of art therapy in cancer treatment.
AATA outcomes-based research bibliography: Cancer and art therapy (pdf)
There are a few spaces left for two art therapy classes I’m facilitating at the Refinery in Saskatoon. Explore grief and loss through Wolfeldt’s Ten Essential Touchstones over four sessions in May and June. Or try the one-day workshop in June called Growing the Good and discover personal resources to help you in difficult situations. Check out these and other Refinery class offerings: http://www.emmanuelrefinery.org/classes
Studies show that virtual therapy can be just as effective as seeing a therapist in person. And it can be easier to connect with a therapist if you don’t have to go to their office or you live in a remote location. For virtual art therapy sessions you can use any materials or objects you have on hand, like the examples in the photos above. If you don’t have access to art supplies or a dollar store that has inexpensive materials, I can ship a kit to you.
The process is the same as in-person sessions: beginning with a check in, choosing and using materials to make something, then discussing what it was like to use the materials and what you notice in what you’ve made. We’ll explore how your insights from our discussion increase your self-awareness, reduce or shift symptoms and/or perceptions, and inform how you can work toward the changes you want in your life.
As with all online therapy, a quiet place with no interruptions is important. I use the NousTalk therapy platform that provides secure, encrypted sessions.
Book a complimentary meeting to find out more: https://dianneshannonarttherapy.noustalk.com/contactme
Dianne Shannon Art Therapy 