It varies. Sometimes the impact can be very quick but if there are deep issues to be resolved it obviously takes longer. In the pandemic, when many children and young people (who have weakened immunity due to their health condition) have felt a heightened sense of anxiety, we’ve needed to extend the usual blocks of 8-12 week art therapy to as much as 18 weeks.
This quote from a parent highlights why parents are so grateful to us – especially when there are so many other services that just aren’t suitable or have long waiting lists.
“By the end of the sessions, there was a huge improvement in his mental health and it helped him completely turn around the way he was feeling to enable him to cope so much better. He now seems to have a very positive outlook on life. I would go as far as saying that it has transformed his life and his future and helped equip him well with coping strategies for the future too. We cannot thank you enough for being there when our son needed you. So many services have long waiting lists or just aren’t suitable for a child who struggles to articulate their feelings but Jane was so incredibly understanding and I feel the pace enabled my son to make real progress in a suitable and sustainable way. It was incredible.”