What will painting an orphanage involve

For many children and adults imprisoned in German concentration camps during World War II, drawings and paintings were used to cope with the horrors they saw each day. Prisoners had to carefully hide their work, as many were killed when their art was found Orstein, They traded food for painting supplies and used garbage, old boxes, and newspapers to paint on.

Paint was made from coal soaked in water, watered-down rust, and vegetable dyes. Painting and poetry were a way for them to survive and cope. I began to use expressive arts as a young counselor in the s out of pure desperation. I worked with adolescents who struggled with mental health and substance abuse problems. Traditional talk therapies did not seem to work very well. I started reflecting on my own adolescence and the activities that helped me cope with stress and family problems.

Activities such as making music, sports, writing poetry, and outdoor adventure provided outlets for expressing myself and helped me manage stress and adolescent angst. Much to the dismay of many of my coworkers, who tightly subscribed to traditional approaches, I started incorporating expressive arts into my counseling sessions. These programs supplemented traditional individual, group, and family interventions.

The organization found that successful treatment outcomes were higher for adolescents who participated in expressive therapies than those who did not. For some, attachment bonds with primary caregivers were absent, disrupted, or severed at an early age. This destroyed the trust and security essential for healthy emotional growth and relational intimacy, since early relationships provide the emotional, neurological, and social foundations for our ability to love Perry, During my stay at CHLA, I heard heartbreaking stories of domestic violence, physical torture, sexual abuse and assault, drug addiction, prostitution, extreme neglect, and abandonment.

Past traumatic events are difficult for children to talk about. They have not yet learned the words to describe the internal sensations, memories, images, and snapshots. The children frequently repress painful emotions and horrific experiences as a basic survival mechanism van der Kolk, Children with a history of trauma experience multiple losses and carry the toxic memories from their past.

They have a higher risk of experiencing mental health problems as adults. Alice Miller wrote,. The truth about our childhood is stored up in our body and although we can repress it, we can never alter it.

Our intellect can be deceived, our feelings manipulated, our perceptions confused, and our body tricked with medication. But someday the body will present its bill, for it is as incorruptible as a child who, still whole in spirit, will accept no compromises or excuses, and it will not stop tormenting us until we stop evading the truth.

Expressive arts have long been used with children to promote psychological health and social support. The staff and volunteers at CHLA engaged and positively reinforced children in the creative process by providing a safe space for them to express themselves.

Because most children enjoy drawing, painting, singing, and dancing, art is a simple way for children to learn multiple forms of expressions. Children are allowed to express themselves without judgment or criticism. They are given the ability to choose from various creative activities that increase their sense of internal control and willingness to participate. Supportive peers can also be a great asset in the creative process.

Many expressive art activities at CHLA are done in small groups. By creating and sharing in a safe and supportive group, children are able to break their sense of isolation and shame. They discover symbols, labels, and other forms of expression that accurately reflect their own inner landscapes. At CHLA, I frequently observed older children teaching younger children how to dance, play the guitar, or paint.

Adult facilitators carefully monitored this process and offered affirmation and validation. When children engage in expressive arts, it alerts the parasympathetic system in their brain Lane, Their breathing slows, their blood pressure lowers, and the body becomes more relaxed. This helps reduce the physiological hyperarousal, or fight-or-flight response, associated with stress. Creative expression modifies our biochemistry and improves our physical well-being. When children participate in the arts, it actually changes their bodies.

The creative process causes specific areas of the brain to release endorphins and other neurotransmitters that affect brain cells and the cells of the immune system, relieving pain and triggering the immune system to function more efficiently. Endorphins are like opiates, creating an experience of expansion, connection, and relaxation. Lane, p. This is the motivation behind creating an independent artistic ability in kids.

And encourage the kids to be spontaneous. Currently their are no updates on this task. Gallery There is no media to show at the moment. Attendance Details Currently no attendance have been submitted on this task. Closed task. Task Statistics Status. Testimonial from Laly about her mission in an orphanage in Cochabamba Laetitia LifeTime Projects Bolivia , Testimonials , To publish No Comments 3 months to properly prepare the mission arch 22, I'm starting a Facebook page to reach as many people as possible and to share my new adventure.

Then, I created a fundraising campaign, held a raffle Not that they were negative, far from it, but it is such a unique experience for everyone that it is complicated to put it into words. Legal notice. Finance your humanitarian mission. Close Search. Art-therapy in Bolivia. Background In recent years, LifeTime Projects has welcomed many volunteers with artistic projects to Bolivia. Presentation of the mission At the initiative of the Bolivian local teams, LifeTime Projects is now developing art therapy projects in the orphanages and childcare centers which we work with.

Your involvement During this mission, you will organize and lead artistic workshops for children, based on the material available and the local culture. Partagez Partagez Tweet Partagez Pin. Love 2. Empowerment of women in Bolivia: Liliana celebrates her success! Today, 10th January , is a big day for the empowerment of women in Bolivia.

After spending four and a half months in Bolivia as part of a student internship with LifeTime Projects, Clarisse talks about her professional and human experience working for the Impuls'Her Projects program for the professional reintegration of young women.