Art Therapy in Calgary for Children and Teens

“Some feelings can’t be put into words. That’s where art begins.”

When kids can’t explain how they feel, they show us — in their drawings, their play, their silence, or their storms. Art therapy gives children and teens a new language for the big emotions that don’t always come out in conversation.

At Creative Sky Psychology in Calgary, we use art to unlock healing, self-expression, and emotional growth. Whether your child is anxious, withdrawn, angry, or simply “hard to reach,” art can open doors that talking alone cannot.

  • Our Child and Teen Psychologists use a blended approach of Art Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help children understand how their thoughts and feelings interact, while using artistic expression. We find that children learn best when they are engaged in a strength-based activity. Art is often an interest based activity for children and works best in this context. At Creative Sky Psychology, we use a strength-based psychology approach to build skills and work on goals. 

     

    We offer workshops for health professionals on using art and cognitive therapy techniques with teens and children. Art Therapy can be helpful for children with regulation challenges, social issues, Anxiety, ADHD, Executive Function Challenges, and ASD.  

Child friendly paint supplies used in art therapy sessions at Calgary's Creative Sky Psychology to support creative emotional expression

What Is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a mental health therapy approach that blends psychology and creativity. It isn’t about being “good at art” — it’s about making meaning.

In session, children use drawing, painting, sculpture, and other mediums to:

  • Express emotions they can’t yet verbalize

  • Revisit and process experiences

  • Gain mastery and confidence

  • Externalize worries or fears

  • Create new narratives about themselves

Through the process, our trained art therapists offer emotional reflection, gentle interpretation, and trauma-informed support — guiding kids through both the art and the feelings it holds.

How Art Therapy Helps

Children and teens might benefit from art therapy if they:

  • Avoid talking about feelings

  • Struggle with anxiety, self-esteem, or trauma

  • Feel disconnected or “shut down” in traditional talk therapy

  • Have sensory needs or attention differences

  • Show perfectionism or emotional inhibition

  • Need a creative outlet for emotional regulation

Sometimes, art speaks when words won’t.

Our Approach at Creative Sky

Our child psychologists and art therapists in Calgary are specially trained to use art-based tools with intention and care. Sessions are tailored to your child’s age, interests, and therapeutic goals.

Depending on your child’s needs, we may use:

  • Free expression for emotional release and insight

  • CBT-informed prompts to explore thought–feeling–action links

  • Narrative techniques like comic strips or story-building

  • Mindful mark-making to soothe the nervous system

  • Symbolic art and metaphors to reframe challenges

We hold space for what’s hard — without forcing words or rushing healing.

Age-Specific Art Therapy

Preschoolers (Ages 3–5)

We use sensory-based art, play, and storytelling to help little ones explore big feelings safely. The focus is on self-expression, parent-child connection, and emotional literacy.

School-Age Kids (6–12)

Kids in this stage often benefit from structured and free art, combined with playful processing tools. We support emotion naming, confidence building, and coping strategy development through drawing, sculpture, and storytelling.

Teens (13–18)

Adolescents often enjoy creative autonomy in therapy. We use metaphor, personal symbols, and reflective art to explore identity, process grief or trauma, and create safe emotional distance from hard topics.

Parent Support & Involvement

“You may not be in the room — but you’re part of the picture.”

We believe art therapy works best when it ripples beyond the session. That’s why we offer:

  • Updates on themes and progress (when developmentally appropriate)

  • Tools for creative expression at home

  • Support in understanding your child’s emotional and developmental cues

  • Guidance on how to respond to emotional artwork or silence

When your child brings home a picture, it might be more than a drawing. We help you understand what it might be saying.

Why Families Choose Creative Sky for Art Therapy

Specialized Child & Teen Focus
We work only with young people — using tools and approaches that match where they are emotionally, developmentally, and creatively.

Neurodiversity-Affirming
We don’t view sensory-seeking or avoidance as “problem behaviors.” We meet each child with curiosity and care.

Creative Expression Meets Clinical Insight
Our team blends the science of psychology with the art of communication — making therapy feel both safe and impactful.

Parent-Connected Care
You’ll be supported along the way — not left guessing how to help your child in between sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • At Creative Sky Psychology, every child and family benefits from a tailored approach. Children that are comfortable talking with a Child Psychologist often don't require parents attending the session. Some children, however, find having a parent in the room can ease their anxiety. Children often feel comfortable attending therapy sessions alone very soon into the first session. In therapy, children have fun while they learn and are often quickly at ease. Another approach we commonly use at Creative Sky with young children is having a parent attend the first or last 10 minutes of the session. This allows us to teach the tools and strategies to parents which can then be used in the home. 

  • We tailor sessions to their interests. Art therapy can include storytelling, sensory play, movement, or mixed media. No artistic skill is needed — just openness to creative exploration.

  • No — while sessions may look playful, every activity is designed with therapeutic goals in mind and led by trained professionals.

  • Yes. Art allows children to express trauma safely, without needing to relive it in words. We use gentle, developmentally appropriate strategies rooted in trauma-informed care.

  • We don’t “decode” without context. We explore meaning with the child — based on their story, their words, and their readiness to share.

  • Often yes — when delivered by a registered psychologist. We’re happy to provide documentation for reimbursement.

Child, Teen and Adult Psychologists in Calgary offering specialized support for all. Creative Sky Psychology offers Child, Teen and Adult Psychology services for ADHD, Anxiety, ASD, OCD, Depression, Learning Challenges, and Emotion Regulation Challenges. We have dedicated Psychologists for preschoolers, children, pre-teens, teens, adults, and parents. Our Assessment Psychologists provides psychoeducational, cognitive, and ASD assessments. We support children, teens, families and parents and provide wholistic care.