Benefits of an Art Therapy Grief Support Group
for Children and Teens

A safe environment and the freedom to express feelings seem to be the most important factors for helping children and teens cope with the death of a loved one. The support group program was established to help grieving children and teens cope with their loss. The goals of the group are clear and simple:

• to help clarify feelings about death and dying
  to help them better understand that others share their experiences and feelings
  
• to give them the opportunity to learn new communication and coping skills
  
• to give them the opportunity to explore and clarify their relationships with others and their hopes for the future

Art allows children and teens to express powerful emotions and helps facilitate discussion about some of the issues they are facing. They can often say more in pictures than they are able to verbalize and they also have fun using the materials at the same time. Drawing, painting and collage work all provide a personal space for self-expression. Artistic expression provides a balance for feelings, thoughts and experiences. Children and teens are able to represent a thought or feeling through an image that makes it more tangible and becomes a permanent record of their experiences.

An important aspect of the program is the support children and teens get from others in the group. Discussion and activities don't always focus on death, but children and teens facing similar circumstances have a close camaraderie. Often a child's relatives are too overwhelmed with their own grief to help the child cope with the loss. And a child's peers are often unable to deal with the issues surrounding death. The support group can serve as an important social network for the children and teens. They see that their feelings are common and they are not alone in their grief. Art also gives them a way to work through their grief and to help each other. Art is a creative and healing way to express feelings. It helps: 1) preserve thoughts, feelings and memories; 2) memorialize the loss; 3) connect with others; and 4) show others our unique experiences.

The group facilitator uses a variety of techniques to help children and teens express themselves at their own level and pace. The children make art projects that reflect all aspects of their lives. Themes and activities are chosen through a careful assessment of what will best serve the group at a specific time. Images, artwork and writings are shared in the group sharing time. Children and teens are often more willing to share their pictures than to speak directly about a painful feeling or experience. Each week the group focuses on a specific theme and activity. Some examples of activities include:

• making a collage to represent the person who died
  
• drawing a special memory
  
• painting a feeling
  
• writing about how life has changed
  
• creating objects to represent the gifts and kindness they have received despite the sadness and unfairness of having someone they love die
  
• creating a project that reflects how it feels to spend the holidays without a loved one
  
• making a memory book helps keep the memory of the loved one alive

An initial interview with the family and child helps them to decide if a support group is the right thing for them. They can express their particular concerns and work together with the Coordinator to set individual goals for their participation in the support group, such as expressing feelings verbally or working out angry feelings.

Children and teens are capable of resolving their loss of a loved one if given the right opportunities. A safe environment and the use of art can create conditions favorable for healing. Through such activities they can also develop coping skills. They see the possibility of creatively transforming their loss through art.