Art Therapy for Children and Young Persons

When children and young persons are experiencing emotional difficulties it can be very hard to connect with themselves and others and their social inclusion can be affected. Art Therapy is a form of intervention that assists with an individual's psychological, educational, social and physical development. It encourages children and young persons to express themselves. It can build resilience through the process of making positive changes.

WHAT IS ART THERAPY or also called PSYCHOTHERAPY?
Art Therapy is a form of Psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of expression and communication. It happens in the presence of a qualified Art Therapist who provides a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space so clients are able to explore difficult thoughts and feelings.

It is not a recreational activity or an art lesson, but an integrative approach with the combination of art materials and playing used when appropriated to potentially start conversations and reflective dialogue of themes that are important to the child or young person. The art making and play not always speak directly but through metaphors, which are gently explored with the Therapist's help, sometimes with the addition of psycho-educational information tailored to promote awareness and better connection with clients' own feelings and motivations in order to empower them to cope with their difficulties by themselves.

Clients may have a wide range of difficulties, disabilities or diagnoses. These include self-harm, eating disorders, anxiety and depression or obsessive behaviours.

This short film from the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) illustrates a service user's experience.

Claire reflects on her experience of art therapy, adolescent trauma and emotional dysregulation.
https://baat.org/art-therapy/stories-and-experiences/claires-story/

For more information on Art Therapy please go to The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) at https://baat.org/

COSTS
Book your FREE 20 min CALL for initial enquiries.
Call me, Irene Malvezi, at 07715601222 or email at

Before working together with your child, it is advisable to have assessment meeting. If you (parent/guardian) and child/young person agree that Art Therapy would be beneficial then it would be expected that client comes for weekly sessions for at least three months, as continuity is vital for the therapy to be effective.

Assessment: 50 minutes - £60
Individual Sessions: 50 minutes - £75

Testimonials:

"Working with Irene has been an absolute pleasure. She is an outstanding practitioner who brings warmth and care to her work in creating a safe and supportive place where our pupils can make meaningful progress. Her thorough understanding of complex needs, thoughtful collaboration with us, and genuine commitment to doing the very best for each pupil truly shines through in everything that she does." Chrissi Newnham (Senior Therapeutic Intervention Lead) – WhiteTrees Independent School, December 2025

"When I started these sessions, I was struggling with constant arguments with my family but through these sessions I realised that we all have different perspectives and opinions. It made me thing that maybe not every little problem needs to have an argument. The art let me express my feelings and my perspective on life it helped me think more cautiously about my thoughts, words and actions overall I have received a lot of the help I needed, and I am very grateful for that." Ellie, September 2025