They don't have the vocabulary that adults do. It's a natural form of communication for them, and all children love to draw. The concept of art therapy in psychological analysis and evaluation began with the breakthrough ideas of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Circular drawing evokes a sense of wholeness and identity. Drawing mandalas was one of many ArtReach projects with the children of Bosnia.
Art therapy owes a debt to the father of modern psychoanalysis, as well.
According to Hull, the two pioneers of modern-day art therapy were Margaret Naumburg and Edith Kramer. Naumburg first began publishing her ideas in the 1940s, while Kramer was famous for using art therapy with children. One approach was analytical, the other cathartic. Working with children is different than with adults. A child develops at different stages, and their cognition and capacity to understand changes as they get older.