Empowering Children Through Art and Expression

Empowering Children through Art and Expression examines thesuccessful use of arts and expressive therapies with children, and inparticular those whose lives have been disrupted by forced relocationwith their families to a different culture or community.

The book explores how children express and resolve unspoken feelingsabout traumatic experiences in play and other creative activities,based on their observations of peer support groups, outreach programsand through individuals' own accounts. The authors argue that suchactivities in a safe context can be both a means of expressing traumaand a coping strategy for children to overcome it. This book combinespersonal and professional perspectives, using case examples as well asthe authors' own childhood experiences, to demonstrate practicalstrategies for use with children, from drama and storytelling tosculpting with clay. It also equips the reader with knowledge of thetheory behind these intervention techniques.

This book will be a valuable resource for professionals working withtraumatized children who have experienced loss, grief, relocation andother kinds of trauma.