Train the trainer

Dissemination of Red Pencil’s methodology

2018 till 2018

Iraq

Context

Red Pencil provides psychological support – through art therapy – to children and families around the world who are facing difficult life circumstances.
Art therapy is a unique therapeutic approach based on artistic expression (drawing, music, drama and dance) that focuses on non-verbal language to enable the expression of difficult emotions in order to improve mental and emotional health and well-being.

Art therapy reduces stress and trauma and provides a means of expression towards greater balance, autonomy and resilience.
Their approach is largely based on the training of local actors who will learn Red Pencil’s art therapy methodology for long-term use in their daily practice.

Beneficiaries

The training is aimed at 2 groups of 15 professionals that have training in psychology and work with the vulnerable population described above. They are identified by Red Pencil’s local partner, the Jiyan Foundation.

Objective

The objective of the Train the Trainer programme is to provide a theoretical framework and practical guidelines for art therapists who work with Red Pencil. In these programmes, art therapists regularly work with people who have been exposed to traumatic events. The care of these people requires special attention. This training provides them with an indispensable tool in their therapeutic accompaniment of these victims, but it is also a tool for personal care for these professionals who also can be traumatized by the daily contact with these children and adults deeply affected by the war conflicts that surround them.

The training plan is divided into two phases:
Phase I: development of a written document, focused on training participants to integrate the arts as a tool to enrich their professional practice as therapists.
Phase II: implementation and evaluation of the training material developed in phase I through two different missions.

Results

The Arts Therapy Manual for working with trauma in humanitarian and refugee settings or “Train the Trainer Manual” is available since January 2019.
Written by Catherine Rogers Jonsson, an art therapist specially recruited by Red Pencil for this purpose, this manual is a tool for promoting and disseminating Red Pencil’s intervention methodology.
The manual first describes the impact of trauma at the neurological level. Then, the main chapters describes the art therapeutic process in trauma, the typical structure of a session and the special challenges and considerations to be taken into account. A list of creative guidelines is also provided.
Some recommendations are given on how the art therapist can adapt to the context of the assignment and understand the cultural implications.
Finally, the authors describe the importance of supervision for art therapists working with traumatised individuals.

Our actions

Whether on a national or international level, we want to offer young people the best possible opportunities for the future. We support projects through concrete action on the ground thanks to our partner organisations

Discover this action

2010 till 2019

Belgium