Expressive Arts

Art heals.

At Tanager, Expressive Arts is an important part of treatment. Together with trained art, music, and drama therapists, children enrolled in the Expressive Arts program work to unlock emotions, memories and experiences through visual arts, music, or creative writing. This interactive process helps children struggling with complicated emotions communicate through artistic expression.

Support Expressive Arts

The Tanager Expressive Arts program is one of a kind and is solely dependent on the community’s support. Your donation to Tanager will help children express and understand themselves. Donate today.

Art Therapy

Through art therapy, children use their creativity to heal. Art therapy offers children a way to express themselves when feelings and conflicts are too difficult to talk about. This approach is especially therapeutic for children who have experienced:

Traumatic events
Grief and/or loss
Learning disabilities
Emotional problems

Abuse
Schizophrenia
Mental health problems
Health issues of loved ones

Bridget Sicchio

Katie Roemerman

Music Therapy

Music therapy is an evidence-based practice that helps children improve their physical, cognitive, and social skills. It provides emotionally challenged children with insight into feelings and conflicts too threatening to face directly. Through music therapy, children use the power of the creative process to communicate, cope, and heal. Music therapy can benefit children with a variety of needs including:

Mental illness
Depression
Behavioral disorders
Emotional disorders
Autism

Sensory impairments
Developmental delays
Neurological disorders
Cognitive impairments

Debra Brockington

Amber Cook

Cescily Vance

Drama Therapy

Drama therapy is the intentional use of theatre and drama processes such as storytelling, puppetry, acting, and play by a registered clinician to help achieve therapeutic goals. At times drama therapy may involve the use of performance as a therapeutic tool, but this is much different than being in your typical play. Most drama therapy focuses on how clients can explore acting, creating, and storytelling within sessions and does not require that a performance be the end goal. Drama therapy has been found to be beneficial for people of all ages and backgrounds including: