Coloring Therapy Helps Kids to Recover More Quickly from Traumatic Experiences – Part 1

According to statistics one out of every four kids will experience some type of traumatic event before their 18^th birthday. The good news is, despite this devastating statistic, there are many ways that a child may recover from traumatic experiences. One of the most popular methods of helping a kid recover more quickly from traumatic experiences is coloring therapy.

It does not matter if a child has suffered from a one-time traumatic experience such as a natural disaster or a death of a loved one or a recurring traumatic event such as physical and emotional abuse, coloring therapy may prove to be highly beneficial to their mental well-being and recovery.

The brain has a difficult time dealing with trauma. Many believe that this is because of the post-traumatic stress. Others believe that it is the adaptive-type behaviors that a victim will use in an instinctive manner in order to cope with situations that are considered to be threatening. Still, there are those that believe it is a combination of both.

One thing is certain, though; the child that has been traumatized has a brain that is highly alert – consistently.

The area of the brain most detrimentally impacted by trauma is the lower region. This is also the area where our survival instincts activate. According to mental health and neurological professionals, coloring therapy aids in helping a child recover from trauma by soothing the lower regions of the brain.

It has been established that the instincts of the lower brain are overly-activated in kids that have experienced traumas. This inhibits their overall ability to perform in most higher cognitive-based functions; that is, until they start recovering from the trauma that they have experienced. Expressive arts – such as coloring – aids in supporting the recovery process after a trauma has been experienced.

Coloring therapy helps the child victims to successfully reconnect with the image section of the brain. According to mental health specialists, this is the area of the brain that is commonly overworked when it comes to traumatic experiences.

The stress from traumatic events manifests itself in different ways for different people. The child may become withdrawn and extremely incommunicative. In other instances, a child may become extremely wild and very confrontational. It all depends on whether the child has internalized or externalized their feelings as they relate to the trauma that they suffered.

Pictures, shapes, and even lines have the ability to tell a story about the life that we live or our experiences that is not typically accessible within actual words.

When kids engage in coloring therapy, they often go to a place – consciously and subconsciously – of safety and comfort. This helps the lower area of the brain to relax and the recovery process to transpire. If you know a child that has experienced any type of trauma, you should engage that youngster in coloring therapy.

Not only does coloring offer many physiological benefits, but, it will offer many psychological advantages, too!

There are many pages here to download for free to help your child color. Amazon also has a fantastic book dedicated to the emotional well being of your child through coloring. Check it out.