Making Online Art Therapy for Youth a Practice

In recent years, the field of mental health has witnessed a significant shift towards innovative approaches to therapy, including digital art therapy. Popular amongst young people dealing with emerging or existing psychological disorders, it has already made a name for itself by improving emotional expression, lowering stress and promoting self-awareness. Unfortunately, less is known about successful and consistent implementation, especially at times where in-person therapy poses more and more challenges.

How can we address that you might wonder? This is where the ARTY project comes in.

Implementing Online Art Therapy

Anything begins with a plan, or in this case – a guide. The ARTY project has ambitiously set out to provide a detailed guide to combine step-by-step instructions on successful implementation of digital art therapy practice. It will also combine innovative ideas, and best practices to help CSOs, youth workers, psychologists, social workers, and practitioners ensure a smooth transition. Why is that important? By supporting mental health practitioners with guidelines, we ensure adequate and well-informed use of digital technologies to cultivate consistent and effective treatment options for young people.

Capacity Building Programme

Rooted in the belief that there is no one right way to therapy, new innovative approaches are essential to empower the professions to expand their options when addressing young clients who are grappling with mental health issues. By improving the capacity of youth workers, psychologists, social workers, and practitioners, ARTY project aims to address the challenges of accessing mental health support during unprecedented times, including lock-downs, physical restrictions, amongst others. The capacity building initiative not only equips professionals with the necessary digital skills, but builds on the confidence to navigate the digital landscape for therapeutic purposes which are key to uninterrupted mental health support.

Enhancing Skills for Change

To say the least, good things take time, so what can be done now? Let’s start by creating a wider network of advocates working together to diminish the stigma and promote an understanding of the challenges faced by youth with psychological disorders for starters. Check out the Awareness Raising Toolkit that’s now available for CSOs and the general public to spread mindfulness and contribute to the enhancement of mental health and youth-oriented policies. Its focus extends to addressing the impact of factors such as the COVID-19 on young individuals with existing or developing mental health conditions.

More About ARTY Project

The ARTY project embodies a holistic approach to digital art therapy for young individuals with mental health conditions. By combining the capacity building programme and the awareness raising toolkit, the project envisions a comprehensive ecosystem of support. Professionals armed with digital art therapy skills can offer personalized assistance to youth in need, utilizing the power of creativity to facilitate healing and expression.

To access the toolkit, learn more about the project and keep up with the updates, head over to the ARTY’s official website: ARTY – Digital art therapy for youth with developing or existing mental health conditions.