Creative Art and Play Therapy

The Children's Aid Society and Art Therapy

Children’s Aid Society provides professional child-focused therapeutic services to children in York, Adams, and Franklin Counties ages 3-17. Our clinical staff has a wide diversity of specialized training, including play and art therapy, to meet the needs of children and adolescents in a safe, supportive and confidential environment. Most clinicians are trained trauma therapists, with specialization in the Trauma Focused- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) evidenced based treatment modality. 

What to Expect 

As with any form of therapy, your first session will consist of your talking to the therapist about why you want to find help and learning what the therapist has to offer. Together, you will come up with a treatment plan that involves creating some form of artwork. Once you begin creating, the therapist may, at times, simply observe your process as you work, without interference or judgment. When you have finished a piece of artwork—and sometimes while you are still working on it—the therapist will ask you questions along the lines of how you feel about the artistic process, what was easy or difficult about creating your artwork, and what thoughts or memories you may have had while you were working. Generally, the therapist will ask about your experience and feelings before providing any observations.

How It Works

Art therapy is founded on the belief that self-expression through artistic creation has therapeutic value for those who are healing or seeking deeper understanding of themselves and their personalities. According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapists are trained to understand the roles that color, texture, and various art media can play in the therapeutic process and how these tools can help reveal one’s thoughts, feelings, and psychological disposition. Art therapy integrates psychotherapy and some form of visual arts as a specific, stand-alone form of therapy, but it is also used in combination with other types of therapy.

Fees

Children's Aid Society currently accepts Access (Medical Assistance) at all of our centers. We offer reasonable rates on a sliding scale for self-pay clients. For more information on our sliding fee scale or financial assistance, please visit or contact one of our three centers. 

For more information

Please contact one of the centers in your local area: