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A: 12 weeks for 1:1 and 6-8 weeks for targeted group work.
A: Certainly not! Every person uses their time differently, some draw, some mark make, others create patterns or abstract shapes. Some make no mark on the paper at all!
It is all perfect.
A: Just themselves! I will provide everything needed for the sessions.
They will be using pencil and paper (no rubbers!) and their work will be contained in a folder which I will keep safe until their final session when I will give it to them to look after.
A: Please notify me as soon as possible when you know there will be a missed session for any reason. I commit to 12 weeks, so I always strive to add a week on at the end, provided I have been given enough notice. Additional sessions are charged at £30 if more than two are added or if sufficient notice has not been provided.
In the case of group work, sessions carry on to retain consistency for the group. Missed sessions will be signified by a numbered page in their folder.
A: Yes, you can pay in two instalments if required.
A: I will not disclose to anyone what your child draws and discusses except for safeguarding reasons. It is important that they feel they have a safe and nurturing space where they can express freely and without judgement. However, what happens in the room is not a secret and they can discuss it with anyone they choose to.
A: Sometimes emotional work like this can feel hard and they may feel like giving up or not attending because they have had a bad day. I commit to 12 weeks and will always support your child as best I can by sitting in the room even when they find it challenging. I will not give up on your child and value them on the good and the bad days!
A: No, Art Therapy is a post-graduate qualification, therapists will interpret the work and use a variety of mediums. Drawing and Talking sits on the Therapeutic Play Continuum as a Tier 2 intervention, below Play Therapy. It is an early intervention designed to offer support before difficulties become entrenched or whilst on the waiting list for other services. It is widely recognised and used by social services, CAMHS and charities nationwide.
A: At the final session, their folder of work is given to the child for them to do with it what they wish. Please respect this is a body of work with emotional weight and they may not wish to share it immediately - if at all. I will send home a second questionnaire to be completed by both parent/carer and their teacher and the scores will be compared with the initial questionnaires and shared with you.
A: Saying goodbye at the end of sessions can feel tough. It is an important and valuable part of the process. It is important to allow your child the time and space to process the work they have done in sessions and I usually advice a gap of at least one full term before rebooking. Extra sessions would always take the form of another 12 week block rather than ad hoc individual appointments.
A: Drawing and Talking works in the unconscious so it is not as simple as saying we have or have not noticed immediate outward changes in behaviour or their problems have not instantly disappeared. Remember Drawing and Talking is about the child and not you. It is attachment-based work and goes deeper than trying to superficially 'fix' a child's problems. I always offer to provide and score a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) from both class teacher and parent before and after the 12 weeks. This is a well-recognised wellbeing assessment tool used by schools, CAMHS and other agencies and can give some indication of the impact of the work. It is helpful to repeat this questionnaire six months and even a year later.
A: I believe any intervention is most effective when used as part of a whole team approach around the child. That means that whilst I cannot relay what the child draws or says in sessions, I can work as part of the team with class teacher, parent and school senco to share strategies and ideas to support your child in all areas and environments they find themselves in. I can share the results of SDQs (with parental consent) which also identifies where the child may be most challenged so we can think about how to provide suitable support both in and out of the classroom. The school setting also provides a safe and familiar space for the child to easily access without you having to take them to our sessions after a busy and tiring school day. The absence of room hire costs also keeps this intervention as affordable as possible.