Creating Hope For Domestic Violence Survivors

Amanda’s Easel is a comprehensive creative arts therapy program for children and their non-offending parent, who have been victimized by domestic violence. The program has been proven to help children through the use of three approaches. Initially, empowering victims to express their feelings, next, helping them learn positive coping mechanisms, and subsequently assisting them to move past the trauma.

Art therapy uses art as an alternative language through which insights, beliefs, feelings, behaviors are brought to light; play therapy, uses structured play to encourage children to enact their feelings and discover, rehearse, and adopt coping strategies; and music therapy relies on indirect, nonverbal communication to work through challenges.

Children may participate in one, two, or even all three therapeutic approaches (depending on need/preference). During any given session they may be expressing a thought through painting, working through a troubling scenario with puppets, or identifying a feeling through the use of musical instruments. Sessions are administered by certified therapists; case management is provided as well to ensure needs are assessed on an ongoing basis and progress is being made toward recovery.

These children are the future of our society, and your support can help ensure their growth, development, health, happiness, and ultimate ability to contribute to their communities. Funds raised will be used to help provide therapeutic art/play/music supplies for children and or their non-offending parent for individual and or parent-child family sessions.