Creative Therapy: for children and young people

Perfect way to end my work for this year!
Mindfulness session for the Young Carers 🎄

Well done you did amazing 💜

Last month, a young girl I’m working with from a residential home in Sheffield was asked to create a positive affirmation canvas. She drew a potato saying, ”Not everyone is perfect”!
I loved this idea of a positive potato so much that I invited local schools to take part in a little competition.. for their young people to design their own positive potato’s.
I have been so overwhelmed by all the children who took part in this challenge!
Such a simple idea yet such a great message to promote across young people.
Over 100 pictures received, a clay potato model, a full class poster and one school even having a positive potato party.. making posters and eating jacket potato’s!

Reading these posters and their messages
“Never give up”
“Mistakes help us learn”
“I deserve to be loved”
“Kindness comes back to you”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re different”
“I am proud of myself”
“No matter what people say, just keep on smiling”
Literally made me emotional!

Children are brilliant at understanding how to be kind, they know they should believe in themselves but sometimes they just need a little reminder how amazing they are, I feel this challenge was that reminder.

Although we have a winning picture, each entry was so amazing I am creating a positive potato folder with every picture inside so other young people we support can see these and use their wise words of advice!

The winning picture was chosen by 3 young people who we work with (the last picture in this post).

Thanks so much to all the schools who participated in this activity we really appreciate it.

Who knows maybe next term we will pick a new fruit or vegetable?! Ideas welcome 😁

We asked 21-year-old Laura to tell us the best thing she’d ever done for her mental health. This is what she said.

Our kindness elves are back!

Something positive for each day on the build up to Christmas. Love creating these positive advent calendars with young people, spreading some kindness 💖🖤💜💙

One of the amazing young people I work with created a positive potato canvas. This gave us the idea to turn this into a little local challenge!

We are asking schools if they'd like to participate and encourage their children to create their own positive potato's. They can be as creative as they like, all we ask is that they are positive!

We will then choose a winner! The winning school will receive a set of Creative Therapy Mindfulness cards and the young person will win a selection box.

Any designs would be need to be with us by the 12th December. You can either post your designs, scan them over or send them in anyway that is easiest for you!

I thought I’d share on here so anyone can take part. Can’t wait to see your designs 💜

2017 - Decided I’d like to offer private therapy on a part time basis. Painted my childrens hands to use as my logo!
2020 - Got my first provision to use as a therapy base.

Love where it started and where it’s going 🖤

Just a few of the families currently joining our yoga and mindfulness group running at a local primary school.

This week we created positive affirmations on a canvas 🖤

We’re looking again!!!

Our team is forever growing 🖤

Please message for more details if you’re interested!

Masterpiece made by a 13 year old boy!

He’s spent many hours and weeks creating this. Amazing 🤍

Well said 🖤

I always feel so inspired by the young people we have the privilege to work with!

Some pictures from the amazing Mindfulness Morning!
Lots of yoga with adults, children and families. Breathing corner where we looked at different techniques and relaxations…

What a great event to be part of! Super day 💜

Super proud of this little lady running her own children yoga class this afternoon!

Grateful to be in a position where I can allow her to run the session but even more grateful she asked if she could do this.

Wrote her own plan, relaxation and kept the structure of the whole session.

Never too young to spread some positivity! Well done Myla 💖

Don’t forget tomorrows events!
Mindfulness Morning at Ashby Community Hub, just turn up and join in the activities!

Then in the afternoon Myla is running a yoga session at our Provision on Healey Rd! Message to book a place!

Lots of positivity 💜

So excited for this Mindfulnes morning!
We will be running a yoga and relaxation room as well as being around to answer any questions.

A rough guide of our room is as follows:

9.30am - Morning wake up yoga and guided relaxation

10.30am - Relaxation session

11am - Family yoga and relaxation
(Family yoga included poses together)

11.50am - Breathing techniques

Relaxed, fun yoga sessions. No experience required and you definitely don’t need to be flexible! Just moving our bodies, laughing and breathing. We also have lots of yoga games so they will be out during the day.

This schedule may vary on the day.
You’re welcome to pop in and try the sessions with no pressure to stay for the full class. If anyone wants to book a place to confirm their attendance you’re welcome to message me with the class you’d like to attend.

One minute I was researching self affirmation theory, writing about self integrity and one way to uphold this when feeling challenged is the use of positive affirmations.

When we feel criticised, judged, challenged or threatened our stress response is activated! And when we criticise ourselves we also activate our threat response.

During this time, we require soft voices, soothing touch and words but instead what do we do… attack ourselves!

I was literally a prime example of this today, thought I’d lost my uni work so of course… “I shouldn’t even be doing a PhD, “I’m not good enough for this”, “I quit”, “I’m stopping yoga”, “I don’t even want to be at uni”…. We just escalate the situation in our head and it spreads like wild fire into everything.. before you know it, one negative situation means it’s game over!

Which is where positive affirmations and self compassion come in! To remind you, “You’ve got this”, “Everyone has crap days” “I am good enough”!

Luckily for me (and my family) I actually found my work! But it was a great reminder… I practice positivity everyday! I live, breathe and preach this daily, yet when faced with one difficulty I did the exact the thing I know not to do!

We’re all human, we’re all on our own journey and we all need to continuously work on being kinder to ourselves 🖤

“If students don’t have adults to demonstrate appropriate self talk it will not occur.
If they learn to regulate the way they talk to themselves, research indicates students performance will improve.

For this to occur, a positive teacher model must scaffold the process.

When children feel like they cannot they will not, when they feel like they can, they will!”

Do you agree?

This is all research based and taken from studies. Currently writing about positive affirmations and this is what iv taken from it related to schools.

🖤

A big thank you to Hayley at creative therapy who will be sponsoring young basher Bradley on our up and coming show on the 14th of October it’s massively appreciated and helps us to run these shows so thanks again 👏👏🥊🥊

Yoga is back

Mondays 6.15pm
Thursdays 6.15pm

Friday morning will start back on 7th October 🖤

£7 per class
All levels welcome

I am looking for a social worker, counsellor or therapist with a core qualification and additional qualifications to join our developing team.
We work in schools providing 1-1 therapeutic support, group work and training. We also provide support to young people who are unable to attend education due to their mental health, from our Wellbeing Provision in Scunthorpe.

I am looking for someone who would be available to start ASAP.
Please message if you would like anymore information!

Out of office!

Just heading off for our weeks break ✈️

I know lots of parents and services have been in touch recently and I have your messages.
As soon as I’m back I will respond to any outstanding enquiries and ones I receive while away.

Having a week off before I get back and hit the new academic year full steam ahead 🖤

Another great session today with the Young Carers 🖤
They’re so creative and a pleasure to work with.
Air Hockey table went down a treat too!
We even had a little visitor 🐶😆

Love this space!
✨1-1 therapy
✨Group therapeutic sessions
✨Wellbeing Provision (for YP struggling to attend school)
✨Yoga
✨Training

All this mental health and well-being 🖤

I haven’t shared the services we provide in a while so here’s a reminder.
We support children, young people and families!

With new schools joining our service in September, as a team we continue to grow.

I have posted a lot of yoga related posts recently, yoga is a way to promote wellbeing that is accessible to all, easy to implement and isn’t so “clinical” but can be so beneficial.

So moving forward we will continue to offer yoga as a way to promote wellbeing and offer our therapy service to improve mental health.

We all have mental health, we all need coping strategies, we all feel down at times! We are hoping to offer more this year as a way to support everyone!

Starting Monday!
Suitable for beginners, those who practice Yoga and anyone wanting to just try it out.

Welcome to use the offer and attend as many classes as you can, or just come as and when
🤍🖤

Sometimes I feel so privileged to do the work I do!
In fact, everyday I feel privileged.

I absolutely love working with young people and families. Supporting people to feel better about themselves, to see their worth, believe in themselves and spreading some positivity.

Promoting wellbeing is at the core of everything we do at Creative Therapy.

Amazing session today speaking to some young people about their worries and looking for those positive things that help them feel better. Because every single person has down days, we need to know some coping strategies.

Brilliant art work created 🎨🖌🖍

Our Gratitude Tree and Worry Tree ready for use…
Depending how the young person (or adult) is feeling 🖤

Bottesford Under 14s Yoga session tonight!

Because even footballers need a little yoga in their life ⚽️

One of our brilliant therapists Emily will be offering these sessions over the summer!

6 weeks of sessions online 💻🧠

Please contact Emily for further details.

I am looking for a social worker, counsellor or therapist with a core qualification and additional qualifications to join our developing team.
We work in schools providing 1-1 therapeutic support, group work and training. We also provide support to young people who are unable to attend education due to their mental health, from our Wellbeing Provision in Scunthorpe.

I am looking for someone who would be available to start in September.
Please message if you would like anymore information!

Another great family yoga session today. All things positive, creating their own positive affirmations 💜

Yoga class by the poolside then a swim, Great way to start your Sunday! Lovely few hours of self care 🖤

Loved running a session by the pool, created such a relaxing atmosphere ☀️

The Benefits of Yoga for SEND Pupils • SEN Magazine

Non competitive, reduces stress especially those with ADHD or Autism, increases feel good hormones, inclusive, improves attention, improves academic achievements, improves self esteem, strengthens lungs and heart, improves sleep…………..

I could go on!

The Benefits of Yoga for SEND Pupils • SEN Magazine Teaching children with SEND yoga can be highly beneficial for their emotional and physical health, writes Helen Forester.

New term, new school!
Family yoga and mindfulness group for another local school. The children and parents were amazing at naming all different feelings, then discussing how they behave when experiencing them.

🖤

Reset, readjust, restart, refocus…. as many times as you need to.

Much needed day out yesterday. Sometimes we need to take a step back so we can think and see clearer.

This week I’m going to start using my gratitude journal again. At the end of the day I’m going to write down any positives that have happened, I’m also going to write any judgements I made about myself “It’s not good enough” “I haven’t done enough work”.
I already know these will be some of the judgements!!

Writing down the positives will mean they are transferred to the long term memory part of my brain and all those feel good chemicals are released again. Writing down the judgements will mean I can see just how may negative thoughts I have. I can then have a little chat with myself, reminding myself how I am doing my best!

I am a huge believer in practising What you preach! I can’t advocate mindfulness, self care and journaling if I don’t even do it myself!

Anyone else fancy journalling for the week? 📖✍️

Misconception, you only use these techniques if you struggle with your mental health! These techniques promote positive mental health 💪🏽🧠