The mother of a seven-year old girl commenting on art therapy that her daughter completed:

“… In short, she’s doing beautifully. She’s all smiles.

You asked what I had thought about the therapy and what I had expected when we started [the mother was present for part of the therapy]. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I had heard little about “art therapy” and decided that I would approach it with a positive attitude, because as things stood, life just wasn’t working. My husband put faith in the medication she was on, I had more faith in communication and relating. I have to say, though, that in the first sessions I didn’t know what was going on, I felt she [the art therapist] talked very little and somehow I expected her to have a magic wand that could conjure up an absolute verbal flood so that she could tell us in a few sessions what was wrong. However, I soon understood that it didn’t work that way and that everything happened in its own time. I started to see how she opened up gradually and everything became easier. I decided right then and there to give her the time she needed and not to push anything. I also found that it was really good for me to be able to participate – our relationship became much more harmonious.

If I were asked whether I would do this again if I wound up in the same predicament, I would definitely answer yes. I would advise anyone to let the therapy take all the time it needs.”