Caritas Charrette Centre Our Mission:

serving emotional high-risk adolescents who are regarded as sub-clinical in psychiatric service; using a non-labelling means to support adolescents in need;

applying Person-centered approach to provide a safe, empathic, non-judgmental environment for adolescents to express their emotions.

• Especially difficult for children and adolescents to express complicated, suppressed or unknown emotions in words.

• Use of imagery and non-verbal modes allows people an alternate path for self-exploration and communication.

• Use arts expressively means going into our inner realms to discover feelings and to express them through visual art, movement, sound, writing or drama.

• Aesthetic value of the art is less important. • Arts are a potent media in which to discover, experience, accept and

transform unknown aspects of self. • Therapy may include joyful, lively learning on may levels: the sensory,

kinesthetic, conceptual, and emotional.

Different arts form carry distinct sensory response, therapeutic effects and emotive qualities It is useful to experience multiple modalities to amplify emotional experience and intensifies our exploratory journey inward.

Art Form Visual Arts

Music/ Sound Making

Dance / Movement

Physical Effect Distraction from pain Hand movement

Reduced tiredness Relaxed / Unwind Move with the rhythm

Relaxation / Exercise Distraction from pain Concentration

Psychological Effect

Reflection of feelings Emotion expression Relaxation / self-awareness

Ventilation of emotion Happy Mood Expression of feelings

Relaxation Distraction from sadness Joy and pleasure Self-expression

Social Effect

Better communication Enhanced co-operation through group painting

Mutual Support Sharing of feelings Co-operation

Cooperation Playing together Communication

Spiritual Effect

Positive mind / Discovery Thought stimulation Creativity / Life review

Positive Mind Thought stimulation Self-awareness

Sensation of peace Meditation

Challenges • Worrying about academic

performance • Heavy loads of homework • Expectations from teachers and

parents • Difficulties in peers relationship • So many extra-curricular

activities • Family issues • Romance relationship issues • Issues relating to body image

Possible Outcomes • Low self-image, low sense of

self-worth, low self-esteem • High level of stress (somatic

reactions) • Easy to get irritated • Anxiety and depressive mood • Withdrawal from schools / social

relationships • Internet addiction • Self-harm behavior • Suicidal thoughts and attempts

• Family Functioning (such as family support, cohesion, ability to cope with change, and adjustment to adolescents’ needs, etc.)

• Parenting Styles • Parent-Child Relationship • Parent-Child Communication • Marital Relationship of Parents • Mental Wellbeing of Parents • Family Economic Condition

(Shek, Sun, & Ma. 2014. Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong: Family Life, Psychological Well-Being and Risk Behavior)

• Ineffective family functioning, e.g. mental health issues • Ineffective parental behavior (inconsistent / too permissive /

too strict) • Low parental involvement: low emotional attachment • Mistreatment during childhood and family violence • Family financial difficulties • Parental substance abuse or criminality

• Supportive relationships with family members • Clear and attainable expectations from parents • Frequent shared activities with parents • Ability to discuss problems with parents • Clear expectations for behavior and values • Parental / family use of constructive strategies for coping with

problems (provision of models of constructive coping)

• F.2 female with mental illness • Living with father and mother • High expectations from parent • Self harm and suicidal thoughts since P.5 (being bullied by teacher and classmate) • Academic performance declined • 2016 admitted to hospital • Insomnia, nightmare, hallucination • Negative thoughts about meaning of life, feeling of loneliness, self-criticism 冇用 • Difficulty in schooling, academic stress • Being blamed/neglected/isolated by peers

Self portrait: Ideal Self

• Intention: Explore psychological safety and emotional needs • Enjoy playing Guzheng, but always feels tensed • Somatic Exploration: aware of relaxed, safe reaction vs tense

somatic reactions (why she felt dizzy) • Learn to slow down the practice, aware of her breathing,

enjoy the process • Awareness: lots of self-criticism, want to get other’s

recognition • Parent’s involvement: tell the client about her appreciations

(well-planned, care of her academic performance and activity, be kind to others)

• Client complained being assaulted by peers (被話八婆、低能), she couldn’t stop crying during recess

• Intention: Explore personal boundary and enhance acceptance of negative emotions

• Somatic Exercise and role play (going back to the scene): Embodiment and acknowledgement of her emotions, enhancement of self-assertiveness

• Awareness: fear of being abandoned and ignored, feeling of loneliness → always accommodate and tolerate others

• Insight: client wants to express herself and respond to her friends in a proper way (express her feelings and needs)

• Client complained having hallucination that a clown pulled her into the water when she was bathing

• Explore what was happened that day (mother blamed her for her rudeness)

• Client recalled past memories of being beaten and blamed by mother every night

• Drawing: to express her past memories with her mother

Mother responded to client through drawing as a repair to the parent-child relationship.

• Client expressed her sad feeling of being isolated by classmates

• Sadness was released and transformed through song writing

• Client responded she would try to develop her new social network

• Client told she had lots of suppressed emotions related to peer relationship and academic performance)

• She was easy to get irritated • Use of scrabbling to release

her chaotic feelings • Insight: those self-blaming

words were come from expectations of teachers and parents

• Client was criticized by her friend again. When she cried, her friend commented her as vulnerable.

• Song writing as a release of her anger.

• Client sang the song while shaking the shaker.

• Client responded she got a sense of release from her stomach.

• Provided guidance on communication with peers

(use of non-violent communication), stress coping, and emotional release

• Explore self-perception and strengthen self-affirmation with parent

• Provide guidance and support for parent • Therapeutic group sessions • Follow-up with school social worker

• Enhanced positive emotions, • Enhanced self-awareness, self-

acceptance and self-confidence, • Increased motivation on

schooling, • Improvement on interpersonal

relationship, • Decreased negative thoughts, no

hallucination and suicidal thoughts,

• Strengthened parent-child relationship

Show My Mind E-information website http://charrette.caritas.org.hk

Information about emotional wellness Expressive arts experiential activities Clients’ art journey with artworks Publications Practice research

Future Development

• Research - outcome on Expressive Arts intervention - both qualitative and quantitative • Art-based assessment • Promotion on Adolescent Emotional wellness - Internal: staff training, meetings, programs - External: seminar, workshop, community programs

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