Supporting Teen Mental Health: A New Workshop from The Anderida Project
We are delighted to introduce a new addition to our community initiatives: "Exploring Who You Are Through Art," a workshop designed to support teens during one of the most formative yet challenging periods of their lives. With the backing of National Lottery funding, this 6-week series offers a safe and creative space for young people to explore their identity, build resilience, and develop meaningful connections.
At The Anderida Project CIC, we’re deeply committed to supporting mental health and well-being in our community. Adolescence is a time of significant change, often accompanied by pressures from academic life, social interactions, and the digital world. This workshop is a unique opportunity to provide teens with the tools to better understand themselves, navigate these challenges, and uncover their potential.
Find out more about the workshop below and how creativity can empower young people to thrive.
Exploring Who You Are Through Art for Adolescents
“Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else” - Sydney Gurewitz Clemens
Being a teenager can be a difficult time.
Nearly one third of under 15s reported stress or anxiety in the year 2018-19, according to MIND. Since Covid many feel this situation has worsened. Stress and anxiety can be for a range of reasons from social interaction, academic to family pressures or from social media and world news.
This series of workshops provides a safe, engaging and personal means to help young people understand themselves and their agency in a group setting. Art Counselling is an inclusive and non threatening way for teenagers to deal with the many stresses they face.
Supporting them to understand themselves and their possibilities
The 6 weeks of hourly workshops will give young adults a safe space to investigate their identity and a chance to open up to possibilities. Discovering ones unique identity involves self reflection, the workshops will allow them a chance to explore their place in society and give them reasons to make good choices and inspiration to form supportive relationships. A healthy identity is formed from the integration of self knowledge.
Small supportive and confidential groups
In a confidential group of up to 6 people, aged from 13 to 16, participants will be encouraged to explore and share together. A peer group offers the chance for them to be seen and heard by their generation who are experiencing like minded things and that understand the particular pressures exerted on them by the media and society. Not feeling alone can help negate the feelings of isolation. Learning to listen to each other and build empathy will also encourage stronger interpersonal communication skills.
Why Does Art help?
Being in a group and expressing yourself can be a struggle, particularly at this age, but art is another gentle language that can vocalise and articulate for us. Expressing oneself artistically can be seen as less threatening and more attractive than verbal questioning to unpack problems and difficult emotions. Creating art allows a relaxed and enjoyable transitional space to make thoughts and feelings more tangible and solid.
My name is Sarah Thilo and I’m a qualified Art Counsellor and a registered member of the BACP.
I understand how daunting it may be for any young adult to attend and I’m happy to contact you before the group and help ease the process as much as possible.
Contact me to find out more at thepottingshedlingfield@gmail.com or have a look at my website the www:thepottingshedlingfield. For more information on about the weekly sessions please click on the link: