For over 20 years, I have been leading various groups: groups for kids whose parents have divorced, social support groups for kids with Aspergers Disorder, groups for kids who have lost a parent, groups for kids with ADHD and conduct disorders. One of the few things I have been doing even longer than leading groups [...]
I am grateful to be an Expressive Arts Therapist because to be a therapist is to be an artist.
As an artist working within relationships of growth and healing I know I am on the right path when I share remarkable moments with children, teenagers, and families. There are endless ways these moments coalesce to [...]
Each expressive arts therapy session is as unique as the child, adult, or family I am working with. Imagine a space in which you are safe and inspired to explore your self through your own creative process. This is my office and I am here to support you. You determine the creative process that unfolds [...]
Craig had pretty much never had a friend. Every social interaction was torture for him. He had been a target of teasing, ridicule, and bullying from the time he was a very young child. He had been hurt so many times by social rejection that it had become the norm for him. He even began [...]
Maybe you have heard of art therapy, dance therapy, or drama therapy? These are considered single modality creative arts therapy approaches and each modality has it’s own professional credentialing process. This means that if you work with an art therapist he/she will use primarily visual art techniques therapeutically, and a dance therapist will use primarily [...]
More often than any other question, I am asked to describe my social skills groups. I lead three groups, for upper elementary school students, middle school students, and high school students. While no particular diagnosis is required for a child to be in one of these groups, most have diagnoses of Aspergers Disorder [...]
Over the years, I’ve worked with a lot of kids struggling with fears, phobias, and anxieties. Recently, I saw a nine year old boy who was having a lot of trouble getting to sleep because of night-time fears and bad dreams. This boy had one of the most vivid and creative imaginations I have ever [...]
It’s easy to overlook or underestimate how attached kids can become to their therapists. This point was brought home to me in a very powerful way during graduate school, in my first year doing child therapy. I had recently told a very bright 4 year old boy with whom I had worked throughout the year [...]
Disclamer
The statements contained in these blog entries are intended to educate and entertain. They do not represent psychotherapy, psychological assessment, or any other form of psychological intervention. They should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed mental health professional. If you have questions related to the material contained in these entries, please contact me or a licensed mental health professional of your choice. Go back to Dr. Matt Mendel web site

