• Child & Family Art Therapy Assessment

Art therapy assessments are time and cost effective tools to deeply understand your child’s needs and issues. Regardless of a child’s art background or ability, art assessments determine the child’s social and emotional developmental level, their current range of coping skills, and any underlying issues or concerns that kids typically have difficulty communicating verbally. Parents recieve compassionate feedback that generates true empathy and understanding of the child’s experience (as well as recommendations for specific medical, therapy, emotional/social/educational supports - if needed). 

• Individual Child Therapy (Art and Music Therapy in a Family Context)

Our individual therapy services are unique, innovative and award-winning. We combine the best, most child-friendly elements of creative art therapy, play therapy and verbal therapy with parent support and training. There is a parent-child portion in every session, in which parents and child improve their communication, develop coping skills solve challenges together. In the individual therapy part of the session children work one on one with the art or music therapist to communicate and explore felings, solve problems, learn and rehearse new coping skills, heal and grow.

• Family Art Therapy and Family Music Therapy

Family therapy helps families develop new family-wide communication and coping skills. Art and music activities along with family discussion helps children feel comfortable while the whole family works on improving the overall quality of family life. You will discover your role in the family system, including strengths and weaker areas. When families communicate and balance the different needs of all members, children’s behaviors and symptoms improve. By realistically understanding each family member’s role, and learning to listen deeply to one another’s needs, families establish supportive strategies, set clear rules and discipline, and structure the family for success!  

• Parent Support & Training

Parenting is the most important job that doesn’t come with an owner’s manual - especially when your child is struggling with impulsiveness, anxiety, angry outbursts, oppositionality and defiance, depression, grief, academic stress, or social problems. In each of these situations, it is normal for parents to feel overwhelmed and/or helpless when their best efforts don’t help the child feel or behave better. Our therapists teach parents individualized supportive techniques to help your child at home and school. Parents leave each parent meeting with concrete, usable tools that help the parent feel competent and better prepared to help their child(ren) at home. What’s more, when parents use these supportive strategies at home, children seem to more quickly move through their therapy process!

• School Observation and Consultation

Therapists with training and experience in the treatment of children with academic/emotional/behavioral difficulties and neurological differences collaborate with guidance staff, faculty, school psychologists and other professionals to develop and implement social skill and behavior support programs.

• Collaboration With Other Professionals

The Art of Friendship therapists are committed to the team approach that is necessary for children with social challenges to have success. We will collaborate with other therapists and doctors in the community to create an effective treatment team for your child.

• Social Skills Training

Social Skills Group Therapy
· 3 year olds: art and free-play based; maximum group size: 2-3 children

· 4-5 year olds: art and free-play based; maximum group size: 4 children

· 5-7 year olds: structured around individual and group art activities; maximum group size: 4 children

· 8-10 year olds: structured around individual and group art activities, communication and recreation/game playing practice; 4 children

· 11-14 year olds (middle school groups): structured around conversation practice and recreation/game playing/“hanging out” practice; maximum group size: 4-6 children (depending on the group’s level of functioning)

· 15-19 year olds (high school groups): structured around conversation practice and recreation/game playing/“hanging out” practice, life skills as needed; participants use group like a support group as well; maximum group size: 4-6 members (depending on the group’s level of functioning)

Individual Social Skills & Coping Skills Coaching-Therapy

When children do not possess group readiness (disruptive behaviors, self regulation problems, low social functioning), they need individual treatment with parental support to learn baseline emotional coping skills. Individual therapy techniques include multi-sensory instruction of cognitive-behavioral coping skills techniques, use of social stories, conversation comic strips, cue cards, and behavior modification (reward) programs. Art and play therapy techniques are used to facilitate emotional healing and growth.

• Community Education/Workshops/Seminars

We offer in-services and presentations to the community on a variety of subjects related to child development, social development and parenting issues. If you are interested in having one of our therapists present for your group or event, please call us. We “take requests” and will tailor a new presentation for your group!

• Professional Continuing Education Opportunities

At CFATC, we are committed to the highest levels of clinical and ethical care. To do so requires that all of our therapists continue to learn and grow. Because of the expertise and experience of our staff, we are able to offer advanced-practice post graduate training. Please check our “Trainings” webpage for updated offerings.