Christy Herdman (BA, DVATI)
Calgary, AB

Christy is an imaginative, curious mind, who finds novel solutions. She is a quick learner; willing to try anything once. An optimistic; a glass-half-full kinda gal; empathetic, social justice ally. Christy sees herself as a fun loving, kid-at-heart, compassionate soul. In Christy’s view, art has the power to help others express and understand their emotions in a nonviolent way. She uses art as a means to empower children to develop emotional skills necessary for building resilience. Christy believes there is an interdependent relationship between all beings on earth; stands with all humankind, no matter their cultural background, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Committed to standing up against hate speech and racial inequality, Christy is a lifelong learner who continues to grow as an ally. In Christy’s personal art practice and as a Certified Art Therapist at CRATE Art Therapy, she hopes to create a more compassionate society.

Jon Kabat-Zinn's quote, "you can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf" (Philosiblog, 2016), acts as a metaphorical framework for the CRATE Workshops For Kids (fig 1). The workshop series arose from the understanding that aggressive adult behaviour stems from maladaptive emotional regulation strategies learned in childhood (Herts et al., 2012); based on this insight; showcasing it is imperative to introduce early intervention strategies to enhance a child's emotional intelligence. Art-based interventions (Stuckey & Nobel, 2010), and mindfulness strategies support an individual in building an adaptive emotional regulation response (Chambers, Gullone, & Allen, 2009). Thus, the aim was to develop a holistic, interdisciplinary workshop series to teach children to navigate emotions effectively using a mindful, art-based practice.

Why CRATE Workshop For Kids?

Across the globe, schools have identified bullying as a phenomenon that extends past country boundaries (Georgiou & Stavrinides, 2013). Violent, anti-social and impulsive behaviour are evident in a bully (Cenkseven Önder & Yurtal, 2008). Herts et al. (2012) state there is a strong correlation between emotional dysregulation and maladaptive behaviour. Deficiencies in emotional control are predictors that when compiled with exposure to stress lead to an aggressive reaction (Herts et al., 2012). In consideration of this knowledge, there is an opportunity to address these factors through an emotional-development program in childhood. With the hope of reducing the number of bullies, the CRATE Workshops For Kids series aims to use art as a medium to improve children's emotional self-regulation skills.

The Approach

CRATE offers developmentally appropriate workshops for children focusing on mindful, art-based, and STEAM-focused activities. Using the points below as a guide, the CRATE Workshop For Kids taps into one's internal knowledge.

• Child-centric. Emotions play a critical part in the formation of a child's social development; through social interaction, participants learn to make meaning of affective responses and behaviours (Lemerise & Arsenio, 2000). The workshops incorporate playful, self-regulation practices that align with the participants' developmental capabilities. 

• Resiliency-Building. A mindfulness component is added to the workshops, to teach the participant to embrace the present-moment experience through an open and nonjudgmental frame of mind (Harvey & Rathbone, 2014), and learn techniques to self-soothe (Harvey & Rathbone, 2014).

• Art-based. Art creation engages the mental processes connected to the ability to process stimuli through the five senses and can serve as a means to instil a positive emotional response (Rosal, 2018). Hence why, participants use art as a primary tool to investigate their emotions. 

• Transportable. Participants learn stress reduction techniques that are adaptable. According to Delahooke (2019), behaviour is the internal bodily processes' observable actions; participants are taught that under the surface, hidden from view, is a more extensive, vast explanation, including causes and triggers to why the behaviour occurs (Delahooke, 2019).

• Experiential. CRATE Workshops For Kids incorporate a STEAM component to expand the imagination, providing meaningful context for a child to practice self-regulation skills that align with the participants' cognitive developmental level. Participants create artwork that incorporates psychoeducational learning. For example, the Worry Monster (fig. 2 to 4) uses the pop fold as a starting point (P, 2018) and serves as a functional toy to learn to name their fears, worries, and anxieties, with the added fun of creating a paper monster that can eat their worrisome thoughts.

The overarching goal is to be a catalyst for change and to use art as a medium to enhance the emotional intelligence of the next generation; encouraging one to feel the feels, knowing all feelings are valid. CRATE Workshop for Kids series provide children the tools to build their vocabulary of different emotions to enhance their emotional competence. Participants learn how focusing on the senses can calm the body, and develop coping skills to build resilience. The hope is the cultivation of positive coping mechanisms will create a more empathetic, compassionate society; the aim is to make it CRATE. 

References

Carpenter, B., Geddes, H., Nash, P., Cahill, J., Satchwell-Hirst, M., de Thierry, B., ... & Solomon, M. (2017). Attachment and emotional development in the classroom: Theory and practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Chambers, R., Gullone, E., & Allen, N. B. (2009). Mindful emotion regulation: An integrative review. Clinical psychology review, 29(6), 560–572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.06.005

Cenkseven Önder, F. & Yurtal, F. (2008). An investigation of the family characteristics of bullies, victims, and positively behaving adolescents. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 8.

Crockett, J. E., Gill, D. L., Cashwell, T. H., & Myers, J. E. (2017). Integrating non-technological and technological peripheral biofeedback in counseling. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 39(2), 163-179.

Delahooke, M. (2019). Beyond behaviors: Using brain science and compassion to understand and solve children's behavioral challenges. Eau Claire, WI: PESI Publishing & Media.

Drigas, A. S., & Papoutsi, C. (2018). A New Layered Model on Emotional Intelligence. Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 8(5), 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs8050045

Evergreenyfs.org (n.d.). 5-4-3-2-1 calming technique - youth anxiety handouts. https://www.evergreenyfs.org/Youth%20Anxiety%20Handouts.pdf 

Georgiou, S. N., & Stavrinides, P. (2013). Parenting at home and bullying at school. Social psychology of education, 16(2), 165-179.

Harvey, P., & Rathbone, B. H. (2014). Dialectical Behavior Therapy for At-risk Adolescents: A Practitioner's Guide to Treating Challenging Behavior Problems. New Harbinger Publications.

Herts, K. L., McLaughlin, K. A., & Hatzenbuehler, M. L. (2012). Emotion dysregulation as a mechanism linking stress exposure to adolescent aggressive behavior. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 40(7), 1111–1122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-012-9629-4

Jones, D. E., Greenberg, M., & Crowley, M. (2015). Early social-emotional functioning and public health: The relationship between kindergarten social competence and future wellness. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2283-2290. doi:10.2105/ajph.2015.302630

Lemerise, E. A., & Arsenio, W. F. (2000). An integrated model of emotion processes and cognition in social information processing. Child development, 71(1), 107-118.

P, C. (2018, June 23). How to make simple box pop up cards {throwback Thursday}. How to Make Simple Box Pop Up Cards {Throwback Thursday}. Retrieved September 9, 2022, from https://www.extremepapercrafting.com/2015/04/how-to-make-simple-box-pop-up-cards.html

Philosiblog. (2016, January 21). You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf. Retrieved May 25, 2020, from https://philosiblog.com/2016/01/21/you-cant-stop-the-waves-but-you-can-learn-how-to-surf

Rosal, M. L. (2018). Cognitive-Behavioral Art Therapy: From Behaviorism to the Third Wave. Routledge.

Rowland, T. L. (2012). Everything You Need to Know About Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. BrainMass Inc.

Skoog-Hoffman, A., Ackerman, C., Boyle, A., Schwartz, H., Williams, B., Jagers, R., Dusenbury, L., Greenberg, M. T., Mahoney, J. L., Schonert-Reichl, K., & Weissberg, R. P. (2020). Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning Programs: CASEL Criteria Updates and Rationale. https://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/11_CASEL-Program-Criteria-Rationale.pdf.

Stuckey, H. L., & Nobel, J. (2010). The connection between art, healing, and public health: A review of current literature. American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 254–263. https://0-doi-org.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/10.2105/AJPH.2008.156497