What the Children Bring, What the Parents Hold, and What Schools See: A Therapist's Reflections

by Chloe Sykes, Art Psychotherapist and Yoga Teacher

(Art Therapy Manchester | Therapy Manchester)

They arrive holding so much.

Sometimes it’s in their shoulders .... high and guarded.

Sometimes it’s in the eyes that glance everywhere but here.

Sometimes it’s in the way they hover at the edge of the room, sizing up the paper, the paint, the person holding space.

There’s often tension at the start. Unsure. Quietly bracing.

And then .... a brush dips into glitter glue.

Clay is pressed into fingers.

Laughter bubbles out mid-collage.

Something shifts.

The artwork begins to hold things words don’t yet know how to carry.

Paint becomes a mood.

A story arrives as a shape, a creature, a storm.

A piece is held up, not to explain, but to be seen.

And in being seen

maybe

to be understood.

In my art therapy studio in Manchester, I’ve seen how powerful this process can be.

Some children make with caution, testing the water.

Others press at every edge, needing to know where the boundaries live.

Some exhale fully for the first time in ages, as if the room itself whispered: It’s okay now.

I’ve watched laughter build connection.

Honesty build trust.

And Minecraft spark entire therapeutic worlds.

Children often bring their knowing gently.

Not in statements, but in gestures, metaphors, repetition.

They show you what they need if you know how to listen sideways.

This is the heart of children’s therapy 

not fixing, not diagnosing, but attuned, responsive noticing.

Parents arrive carrying their own storms

Love, guilt, worry, the deep ache of wanting to get it right.

Their child’s anxiety sometimes tugs at old wounds of their own.

And still, they show up.

I’ve seen tears held back with grace.

Hope quietly folded into bags next to snacks and forms.

A silent question in their eyes: Is this helping? Am I doing enough?

In this work, parent therapy sometimes unfolds alongside the child’s journey

a space to honour the heaviness, the triggers, the tenderness of parenting when your child is struggling.

It’s all connected.

In schools, the staff are tired.

Pulled by targets, weighed down by paperwork.

Still, I’ve witnessed fierce advocates fighting gracefully for the quiet children

the ones who hide their struggle with good behaviour and polite smiles.

The system is stretched.

But the humans inside it are trying.

Often quietly. Often invisibly.

In these moments, I see the power of mental health support in schools

and the difference it makes when emotional needs are met with empathy rather than punishment.

And so much happens in between the brush strokes.

The children’s internal world isn’t always spoken.

But it’s an honour to notice.

And I’ve seen

being noticed, from within, is where healing begins.

If you’re looking for compassionate, creative-based support , for yourself, your child, or your school , I offer art therapy in Manchester, in-person.

Together, we can explore what feels possible. Get in touch to book a free 15-minute introductory call. Let’s see if this creative approach feels right for you.

👉 Book Your Intro Call