Expressive Therapies & Teen Mental Health

We all know the infamous time of the teenage years. Some say it is even worse than having a toddler. Since the brain is still developing during the teenage years, these humans tend to be a bit impulsive and emotional. It can be extremely difficult at that time to express new emotions we are feeling. It is easy to fall into a depression and feel completely alone. Introducing a way to nonviolently express teen emotions can make a huge difference in teaching your child coping mechanisms, and how to deal with day to day life. Expressive therapies using art, music or journaling are one way to express yourself and give peace to your mind.

How Can Expressive Therapies Help Teens?

Research has shown that expressive therapies can be beneficial in the treatment of adolescent mental health concerns because “Art as an expressive language provides an entrée into a relationship with teenagers by tapping into their creativity and offering a form of communication that is non-threatening and over which the adolescent has control. When teens enter the art therapy room, they find drawing materials and other forms of media on a table. They are invited to draw anything they choose and even to make a statement in images that represent their feelings about being in the therapeutic setting.”

For anyone not wanting to try it alone, there are group settings in which art therapy is available as well. Expressive therapies involving art with various different media, music, and writing are not about skill either. The technique is about using art to express emotions that are hard to put to words or talk about. One of the best things about art therapy is how inclusive it is.

If you have a creative teen at home that had a hard time talking about his or her feelings with others, consider getting him or her connected with a counselor who has a background in expressive therapies or art therapy. Avenues of Counseling and Mediation has several providers available at both the Medina and Akron, Ohio offices with this specialty.