Child + Youth Art Therapy
Children learn how to think in symbols and images before they can express themselves verbally.
Child + Youth Art Therapy
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Art therapy gives children a way to explore their feelings, experiences, and the things they might not yet have the words to express.
Through drawing, painting, sculpting, and working with different art materials, children can communicate, make sense of their experiences, and develop a better understanding of themselves. The creative process can offer a different starting point for exploring big feelings, navigating challenges, and working through things that may feel difficult.
Art therapy can support children in building emotional awareness, confidence, self-esteem, and new ways of understanding and expressing themselves. It also offers an opportunity to build a trusting relationship with a therapist in a space where they can be themselves, explore at their own pace, and feel supported along the way.
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In-Studio Sessions
Our Hamilton studio offers in-person art therapy & psychotherapy for children ages 5 and up. Our welcoming, creative space gives children room to explore, create and connect with an art therapist through the art-making process.
Virtual Sessions
We also offer virtual art therapy & psychotherapy across Ontario for children ages 9 and up. Sessions take place online (via Jane) with a therapist from our team, offering flexibility and support from the comfort of home.
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Supporting a child often means supporting the people around them, too. We believe that parents and caregivers are an important part of a child's therapeutic journey.
Throughout your child's time at InnerSpace, we offer opportunities to check in with their therapist, ask questions, share observations, and talk about how things are going at home. We typically recommend an initial parent or caregiver consultation after the first 4–6 sessions, with additional check-ins as needed.
These conversations give us space to connect, discuss your child's needs and goals, and explore ways to support them beyond the therapy room.
Our goal is to work collaboratively with families so children feel supported, understood, and encouraged both in and outside of sessions. -
We know how busy family schedules can be, especially during the school week. That's why our team offers after-school appointment times to help make art therapy more accessible for children and youth.
After a full day of school, having time and space to slow down, create, and connect can be meaningful. Art therapy offers children an opportunity to explore their experiences, work through big feelings, and have some time that's just for them.
We do our best to offer appointment times that work for families and their schedules.
Art therapy offers children & youth a safe, creative space to express feelings, build confidence, and develop emotional regulation, problem-solving skills, and resilience—supporting healthy growth and mental well-being.
A Bottom-Up Approach
Children experience emotions in their bodies long before they always have the words to describe them. Excitement might feel like energy that is hard to sit still with, worry might show up as a knot in the stomach, or frustration might feel like tension throughout the body.
At InnerSpace, our therapists recognize that not everything needs to be talked through. We incorporate body-based and sensory approaches into art therapy, helping children explore what they're feeling through creative expression, movement, and art materials.
A child might use colour, shapes, clay, or drawing to give form to an experience that is difficult to put into words. These experiences can help children develop greater awareness of their bodies, emotions, and what they might need to feel supported and regulated.
What makes Art Therapy Different…
Your child doesn't need to be artistic. There is no right or wrong way to make art in a session. No experience or artistic ability is needed.
The process matters more than the finished artwork. We're not focused on creating something beautiful or making a perfect project. The experience of making, exploring, and experimenting is what matters.
Children don't always need words. Art offers another way to communicate feelings, experiences, and things that might be difficult to explain.
There's more than one way to express yourself. Drawing, painting, clay, collage, sensory exploration, and play can all become part of the therapeutic process.
Not every session involves making art. Sometimes children want to talk, play, explore materials, or simply spend time getting comfortable with their therapist. We follow each child's needs and interests.
There's no pressure to share or explain artwork. Children can explore at their own pace, without needing to talk about everything they create.
Art therapy is still therapy. The relationship with the therapist, emotional exploration, and therapeutic support are at the heart of each session. Art-making is one of the ways we do this work together.
Parents and caregivers are part of the process, too. We value working alongside families to better understand and support each child's needs, both in and outside of sessions.