Art Therapy - Visual Body Mapping
Visual Body Mapping
One of the exercises we use with some of our older kids in art therapy is a visual body map. Similar to a ‘check-in’ image, the body map encourages the child to focus on how they’re feeling in this moment and becoming more self-aware of their body.
Start by drawing an outline of a body - doesn’t have to be perfect and all of the limbs can be oddly shaped or you can have a great big head and a tiny body! Doesn’t matter! Then you need to think really carefully about how you’re feeling in your body and draw it on the outline.
What do I need right now? How am I feeling in the tummy? Is my throat dry? Does my leg feel a little tingly, maybe itchy? Am I finding it hard to concentrate? I know! I’ll draw fog in my head!
By becoming more self-aware you can start to objectively evaluate yourself, manage your emotions better, and begin to understand how you project yourself to the world. By regularly using this exercise at the beginning and end of sessions, we can visually see the progress and positive bodily outcomes we feel in these sessions.
-Alex
If your child or young person would benefit from engaging in Art Therapy, contact us to arrange a session with our Registered Art Therapist, Alex.
