Art therapy helps traumatized children : Health

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31 Los Angeles students who have been traumatized because of gang violence are being helped to gain their emotional balance through art therapy.

Suzanne Silverstein, a registered art therapist, says art therapy is one element of the Share and Care Program that serves 11 Los Angeles unified schools. Group discussion is also used to address emotional anxieties. The program ' s main goal is to give children a place to go to express their fears and anxieties, freeing them to learn in the classroom. Share and Care is a service of the Psychological Trauma Center, a non-profit organization that meets mental-health needs of traumatized elementary school students in disadvantaged areas.

Psychological trauma of any kind affects a child's ability to concentrate and learn, said Silverstein, president and co-founder of the Psychological Trauma Center. By helping children begin to cope with the violence, fear and sadness that are all too prevalent in their homes and neighborhoods, we hope to improve their quality of life and help them achieve their highest learning potential. We also hope to help break the cycle of violence as students learn healthy forms of expression and avoid striking back with more acts of violence.