Presentation by: Yasaman Madanikia
Session: C | Time: 10:05AM – 10:45AM | Location: Room 208
I strongly believe in taking a preventive approach towards mental health. I find it very important for senior school students to work on their self-care strategies, self-care being any activity that students do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. The purpose of self-care is to increase feelings of well-being and to prevent future burnouts or breakdowns. I understand that putting time aside for self-care can be challenging for students; however, self-care is even more vital for youth with demanding schedules.
In an effort towards making self-care a habit, I used my art therapy background and designed an after school program named Self-Care Tuesdays. Sessions run every Tuesday, from 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm. During this time, myself and a group of 15 students engage in various art-based “Do It Yourself” activities. Each week’s activity gets posted on our Schoology student page and interested students get to sign up. This program has been very successful in our school since it has enabled our students to take a healthy break from their academic studies by engaging in recreational art and craft making. The group participants often feel proud and excited about their creations, fostering feelings of accomplishment and joy. Moreover, participants get a chance to meet and connect with other students and myself in a relaxed recreational setting. As the school counsellor, running this group has given me the chance to build relationships with various students, leading those students to often initiate therapeutic relationships with me outside of this group. Overall, this group has led to increased levels of wellbeing and decreased levels of stress in our school as reported by the students, staff and their parents.
In my presentation, I plan to share my experience of running this group and the art therapy research that supports my practice. I will also provide the audience with a list of some specific art-based activities that they can implement in their schools. The group discussion will be focused on mental health related initiatives that can be a helpful addition to our schools.
Abstract: 578