Art Therapy for Children: A Curriculum for Therapists

ABSTRACT ART THERAPY FOR CHILDREN: A CURRICULUM FOR THERAPISTS TO UTILIZE WITH CHILDREN AGED SIX THROUGH TWELVE WITH VARYING DIAGNOSIS AND BEHAVIORAL ISSUES By Jaclyn Yuki Schlanger Master of Science in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy The purpose of this graduate project was to design a curriculum which addresses children aged six through twelve with various behavior and emotional difficulties. The primary goal of this eight week curriculum is to foster a sense of emotional awareness amongst children, and allow them to engage in self-awareness activities that are intended to be creative and fun to stimulate personal growth and engagement, along with the ability to feel safe opening up and processing various emotional issues that may plague a child in these age ranges, despite where they may be developmentally. Each session can be modified to fit the specifics of the children enrolled in the program, with modifications and amendments cited throughout the curriculum outline. Through each 90 minute session, the child will be able to build positive relationships with one another while increasing self-awareness and implementing positive coping skills.