- Free art therapy sessions are available every Thursday at the South Georgia Autism Center.
- The therapy helps kids with autism release emotions, improve social skills, and develop self-confidence through creative projects like painting and clay sculpting.
- Watch the video to see why neighbors are choosing art therpay in Thomasville
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For some kids, words aren't the easiest way to communicate—but art can be a game changer.
I'm checking out how free art therapy is helping neighbors find new ways to express themselves and build social skills.
Emerging therapies are helping people connect in ways traditional therapy often can't.
One of those therapies is art therapy—and now, the South Georgia Autism Center is bringing them right here to Thomasville.
Ashlynn Brandstetter, an art therapist at the center, tells me it's about building emotional awareness and social skills.
"A lot of times when you are working with an autistic child, the goals might look like increased social skills, reduced anxiety, increased identification and release of emotions, and those are all things that we can do with the use of art materials," said Brandstetter.
Ashlynn's sessions are personalized to each client, adjusting to their needs with different materials like watercolor paints, markers, and clay.
She explains that watercolors help release emotions more freely, while markers offer structure.
"When you have art materials in front of you and an easy project, it's very easy to find yourself in what we call flow state. When you're in that flow state, nothing matters, all you're thinking about is being in that moment and how good it feels to focus on yourself," said Brandstetter.
And this approach works—especially for kids who may struggle with verbal communication.
"You don't have to talk at all. We can spend a 60-minute session completely silent. It's all about being in the moment and the art process and how you feel during that process," said Brandstetter.
As Ashlynn tells me, some clients begin their sessions nonverbal, but they often find ways to communicate through their art after just a few sessions.
She says, if their thoughts and emotions aren't properly expressed, it can be problematic in other areas of life.
"Emotions don't go anywhere. They just simmer below the surface, and if you don't find a way to healthily connect with your emotions and express them in a healthy way, they can come out in inappropriate ways," said Holly Larkin, who's a research student with the center.
You can try these sessions every Thursday from 9 AM to 3 PM. You can get more information on the South Georgia Autism Center's Facebook page.
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