Improving Mental Health Therapies for Autistic Children and Young People

Arts Therapies and the Mental Health of Children and Young People presents innovative research, theory, and practice across the arts therapies, responding to the growing prevalence of mental health disorders among children and young people. Drawing on diverse social, cultural, political, and developmental contexts, the book highlights how creative therapeutic approaches address the varied needs of children and adolescents in different settings around the world. Through contributions from arts therapists working across countries and disciplines, the text showcases the distinctive qualities of individual art forms while encouraging dialogue and integration across therapeutic modalities. The chapters demonstrate how the expressive power of the arts, when held within a therapeutic relationship, fosters hope, resilience, and trust in self and others.

Key Features:

• Presents contemporary research, theory, and practice in arts therapies for children and young people.
• Reflects diverse social, cultural, political, and international contexts of therapeutic work.
• Highlights the unique contributions of different art forms while encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue.
• Addresses the high prevalence of mental health disorders among children and adolescents.
• Demonstrates how creative expression supports hope, resilience, and relational trust.
• Relevant for arts therapists, academics, and postgraduate students in arts therapies, social work, psychotherapy, health psychology, and education.