Ponca Pines Academy strives to incorporate a variety of traditional and experiential therapeutic modalities into our program to assist all students in their navigating and processing their personal journey.

Our Art Therapy program is based on the belief that when creativity is introduced into problem solving, the artwork can provide fresh viewpoints on exploring pre-existing issues.

The use of Art Therapy with students in Ponca Pines Academy has been shown to help reduce stress, facilitate the development of interpersonal skills, manage behavior and promote self-awareness.

Art Therapy can be equally effective with students who are nonverbal due to reticence, the after-effects of trauma, or a multitude of other reasons. When students are encouraged to “let their fingers do the talking,” we often find that this kinesthetic movement provides a direct link to language, and that dialogue will follow shortly.

At Ponca Pines Academy, all components of therapy are integrated, and Art Therapy provides a complementary role to our student’s psychotherapy.

Communication between the therapist and the art therapist, as well as, other members of the treatment team, ensures an integrative approach to treatment that can both stimulate and expedite the therapeutic process.

The cost of Art Therapy at Ponca Pines Academy is included in our monthly tuition.

Art Therapy at Ponca Pines Academy consists of:
		Initial Assessment (within 7 days of enrollment) – Designed to be used as an additional tool in designing the student’s treatment plan.
		Individual Art Therapy – Occurs weekly for one hour with student and art therapist to explore individual therapeutic issues in a safe, sustained way.
		Group Art Therapy – Occurs weekly for 90 minutes. Group art therapy encourages exploration around common group issues, response to theme topics, and open-ended projects. Group art therapy almost always includes an art-making phase followed by a writing project or discussion.
		Family Art Therapy – Occurs during monthly family visitation weekends and semi-annual Parent Workshops. Family art therapy provides an opportunity for families to work together, and sends the message that working together is the goal. Difficulties in the family are not exclusive, but inclusive, and each family member is an agent of change.