Healing Through Art: Empowering Young Minds
Designed and led by qualified psychotherapists, Sarah Clark and Zoe Grace. Funded by Youth Camden Foundation
In the wake of rising youth mental health challenges, we’ve launched a new initiative using creative expression as a tool for healing. Our Mental Health Exploratory Art Pilot Programme delivered one-on-one monthly art sessions to children who have been long-time participants of HvH Arts. These children face emotional and social challenges and this programme offers them a safe, consistent space to express themselves and build confidence.
The programme was a success and the impact was so significant that we are applying for further funding to ensure the longevity of this programme and incorporate it into the HvH Arts ethos. If you would like to help ensure that at-risk children and young people are able to explore their mental health through art, please donate.
Why This Programme Matters
- Trusted Relationships: We’ve known these young people for years—they’re part of our creative family. This allows for deep, honest engagement in a safe environment.
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health: The impact of the lockdowns and the pandemic itself exacerbated social isolation, anxiety, and emotional suppression, specifically in young people. Our pilot programme aimed to rebuild the confidence and communication that was lost during this time.
- Empirical Evidence of Art as Healing: Research from the Wellcome Trust shows that arts-based approaches help young people manage anxiety and depression effectively.
“Engagement with the arts enhances self-expression and increases self awareness, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Over time, this builds resilience, improves problem-solving, and enhances prosocial behaviour. It also provides a safe space for self-expression and encourages non-verbal mechanisms for sharing, which can be particularly helpful while working with vulnerable populations or youth with experiences of trauma”
Inside the Sessions
What Happens in a Session?
- Monthly 1:1 sessions with a trained artist and psychotherapist
- Exploration of themes like identity, self-worth, body image, anxiety, and resilience
- A vast range of media was used to ensure all children could express their feelings and thoughts freely: collages, self-portraits, mindfulness art, vision boards, clay (for sensory exploration), grief journals, acrylic paints, pens, charcoal, and much more.
- Supportive mentorship and reflective discussion
- Lunch and art supplies included
- Sessions run monthly for six months to ensure consistent and long-term mental health support
- A small group of focus children, who are long time beneficiaries of HvH ARTS, were part of the pilot programme
- Private sessions, one-on-one with a qualified and trusted practitioner from HvH ARTS.
- Ends with a celebratory mini-exhibition for friends and family
“Since having these sessions I feel a lot calmer, I understand different points of view, and I can oversee what’s happening”
Young Beneficiary from the Programme
Meet the Practioners
Sarah Jane Clark, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist and Artist.
Sarah is an experienced and passionate psychotherapist working with children, adolescents, adults and families in multiple NHS settings, and has a private practice. As the Duty of Care Psychotherapist at HvH Arts, Sarah ensures the emotional stability of the children by identifying, preventing, supporting, and protecting them from any negative impact of social media. Sarah designed a duty of care framework; used in relation to social media safeguarding, risk and negative impact. With our CEO Debbi Clark, Sarah designed the HvH Arts’ Mental Health – Building Resilience Programme, a tailored initiative aimed at fostering emotional strength and adaptability in the children.
Zoe Grace, Integrative Arts Counsellor and Artist.
Zoe is a North London Artist who has been running art workshops for several years now, here at HVH Arts, CentrePoint, The Caedmon Company, and Unilever. She has had several Solo exhibitions with The Rhodes Contemporary Art Gallery in the West End. She has also collaborated with Apple Music at The Round House, Getty Images with The David Lynch Foundation and has been in numerous group shows including Art Basel Miami. She is also an Integrative Arts Counsellor, with a diploma in The Therapeutic Arts, and in Counselling Teenagers.
Impact So Far
Real Impact Reported by Our Psychotherapists Throughout The Programme
Family Group:
Initial Assessment: The children were quite distant and closed off. There was evident tension and conflict between them, with competitiveness, aggression, and controlling behaviours being common during their interactions.
Progress and Development: The children began to open up in ways that were previously unthinkable. Through the act of making art together, they started to listen to one another, respect each other’s personal space and discovered the importance of teamwork. They began to share their experiences, frustrations, and challenges—both in terms of school and relationships with friends and teachers. With gentle encouragement, they learned how to navigate difficult conversations, offering advice and emotional support to one another. They learned life skills such as conflict resolution, empathy, and teamwork, all while making significant progress in their art projects.
Young Beneficiary (age 10):
Initial Assessment: This young beneficiary has been with HvH ARTS for almost 5 years and has recently struggled to negotiate and manage emotions when things become too much. They have also been bullied at school leading to a fear of expressing feelings, worrying about others judgements, sudden bursts of energy, low periods, and difficulty relating to other children.
Progress and Development: The sessions enabled the young beneficiary to to express his feelings through his art work while exploring his thoughts and beliefs associated with the struggles depicted through his art. This young person has been able to build his resilience throughout his sessions and has come a long way in being able to manage his feelings, using strategies such as perspective taking, understanding that bullying was not his fault, and he has made some new friends in school.
Young Beneficiary (age 11):
Initial Assessment: This young person entered the individual sessions with a deep sense of frustration and a history of difficult relationships, particularly with their father. They also struggled with loneliness and anger, compounded by feelings of fear around their friendships.
Progress and Development: During the art sessions, our young beneficiary was able to express their emotions and concerns more freely, which allowed for significant breakthroughs in how they understood and processed their feelings.
Benefits & Outcomes:
Emotional Release and Healing: Beneficiaries were able to articulate their frustrations, loneliness, and anger in a safe, non-judgmental space.
Support Through Transitions: The children were provided with emotional support as they navigated significant life changes.
Increased Confidence and Self-Awareness: They gained confidence in themselves, their emotions, and their ability to deal with challenging situations.
Participant Feedback
Statements From Our Participants
“I feel I have become more confident since having these sessions, I can just be me…and the best that I can be”
Child Beneficiary
“Since having these sessions I feel a lot calmer, I understand different points of view, and I can oversee what’s happening”
Child Beneficiary
“’My child has grown in confidence, not wanting to be dismissed, he has been able to say this is how I’m feeling…it has been important to him that he has felt validated, and these sessions have been validating for him”
Parent of a Beneficiary
“’My child has been able to express emotions more, has been able to identify feelings, use words to articulate how he feels, instead of using actions”
Parent of a Beneficiary
Join Us in Making a Difference
Help Us Continue This Life-Changing Work
Your donation helps provide a safe space for young people to heal, create, and thrive.
You can also help support our mental health funding by purchasing a book of poems that our young people helped to illustrate. “I SPY WHAT AM I?” was designed by 26 children and young people with their creativity in illustrating images for this A-Z of riddles & rhymes with Trisha Krauss and Gary Bishop.
All proceeds go directly to help funding our mental health projects.