Coping with life's stresses is difficult for everybody, but can be especially challenging for teenagers who feel isolated and misunderstood. Creative expression through art, craft and writing is a very natural and effective way of helping young people to explore and communicate personal identity. This book is bursting with art and journal projects, creative challenges, and miniature projects for personal spaces, all of which help teenagers to understand and express who they are and what is important to them. Activities are diverse, can be tailored to suit the individual, and require minimal equipment and even less artistic know-how, so can be enjoyed by all. The book concludes with a useful appendix for counsellors and other professionals who work with young people, which explains how these activities can be incorporated into treatment goals. This imaginative and insightful book will be a useful resource for all therapists, social workers and counsellors who wish to encourage self-expression in teens.

Table of Contents

Introduction. Creative Hunting and Gathering.; Part I. Art Projects and Creative Challenges.; Part II. Journaling.; Part III: Miniature Projects for Personal Spaces. Key Treatment Areas. Suggested Activities. Goals.

About the Author

Bonnie Thomas LCSW is a school-based clinician, providing individual and family therapy to children aged 3-12. She has also worked in the Juvenile Corrections System and coordinated a mentoring programme for young girls living in public housing. She is the author of 'Creative Coping Skills for Children', also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.