Little Bodies, Big Emotions

A lot of parents reach out to me and say, “ My child is so sweet but has a hard time managing their emotions.” It’s great that we are encouraging our children to find healthy ways to express their emotions as opposed to trying to ignore them! But sometimes those emotions can feel so big they are hard to manage.

In this group, we’ll learn that big emotions are normal…we all have them! But we’ll also learn healthy ways to express our emotions and help ourselves feel better. Practicing in a group is one of the best ways to learn about our feelings and how to best express them.

Each six week group is limited to six participants.

Email me at bridgesarttherapy@gmail.com to learn more.

Me and Mom

and Our Big Feelings

This group is for tween girls and their mom or female caregiver where both experience anxiety and fear from time to time. Through art, you’ll learn ways to manage your big emotions and help calm or body. You’ll have space for deeper connections while also getting to know other girls and women who struggle with anxiety as well.

Children Ages 6-8

Arts and Peer Support Group

This group has space for three sets of moms and daughters.

The group will last six weeks.

Email me at bridgesarttherapy@gmail.com to learn more.

The Art of Altered Books for Trans/LGBTQ+ Teens

The trans teens of today see a fluidity that is new to many older adults. The way they identify and experience their bodies often changes over time…not just weeks and months but even over the course of a few days. They often experiment with how they express who they are through how they dress and how they behave. Some decide to alter their bodies permanently to represent how they feel on the inside. And some choose not to make permanent changes. For each it is a choice and an ongoing process. In this workshop, we will use the technique of altering books to create a metaphor for self for the teen participants. Each will be given a book to change in whatever ways feel right. Over the course of 10 weeks, the teens will learn different techiques for altering books and create an art piece from their book to represent themselves.

Each ten week group is limited to six participants.

Email me at bridgesarttherapy@gmail.com to learn more.

See the World Thorough My Eyes

Tweens on the Spectrum

Young teenagers, or “tweens,” often come to therapy feeling a little out of sorts. Their bodies are changing…sometimes quickly…and they feel both like a child and an emerging teenager all the time. For our neurodivergent tweens, who already feel different because they experience the world in their unique ways, this transition can lead to a lot of hard emotions and discomfort. This group isn’t about learning social skills. In this art group, all experiences are welcomed and our neurodivergent tweens will be encouraged to “come as they are” and explore through the arts, the young teenagers they are becoming.

Each six week group is limited to six participants.

Email me at bridgesarttherapy@gmail.com to learn more.

The Art of Altered Books for Trans/LGBTQ+ Young Adults

The trans young adults of today see a fluidity that is new to many older adults. The way they identify and experience their bodies often changes over time…not just weeks and months but even over the course of a few days. They often experiment with how they express who they are through how they dress and how they behave. Some decide to alter their bodies permanently to represent how they feel on the inside. And some choose not to make permanent changes. For each it is a choice and an ongoing process. In this workshop, we will use the technique of altering books to create a metaphor for self for the teen participants. Each will be given a book to change in whatever ways feel right. Over the course of 10 weeks, the teens will learn different techiques for altering books and create an art piece from their book to represent themselves.

Each ten week group is limited to six participants.

Email me at bridgesarttherapy@gmail.com to learn more.

Adults 18 and older

Arts and Peer Support is open to any local adult living with severe and persistent mental illness. Current group members range in age from 18 to 75 and are diverse in race/ethnicity, with many identifying as LGBTQIA+. This group, while it is facilitated by trained therapists, is led by group members. We meet every other Thursday in person at Bridges Art Therapy and on alternating weeks, on Wednesdays, we meet online. We share about life’s challenges and successes while connecting through art making.

To learn more, email Bridget at bridgesarttherapy@gmail.com.

While it may seem like more people, both kids and adults are being diagnosed as neurodiverse, I believe it is not because this group of people is actually growing in number but rather, we are, as a society, recognizing that not all people think alike.

This group isn’t about learning social skills to better navigate a neurotypical world. Instead, this group will offer neurodiverse kids an opportunity to spend time with kids like themselves using art to discover and share about how they view and interact with the world.

Each six week group is limited to six participants.

Email me at bridgesarttherapy@gmail.com to learn more.