A problem shared ...
Creative Refuelling for Parents
“It allowed me to relax. Thank you SO much for your time and effort”
Being a mum or dad is the most rewarding, most demanding job that most of us will ever do. And we learn the ropes on the job, making decisions, facing problems, gaining experience with nothing but our own upbringing as a guide. No wonder parenthood can overwhelm us.
Parents and carers of children needing support with mental health can feel particular pressure, with feelings of sadness, guilt and frustration making it difficult to provide loving, emotional support to their troubled youngster.
The Wild Mind Project’s Creative Refuelling sessions provide a safe space for harassed parents to swap stories with other people in a similar position. The sessions use a range of creative techniques to reduce stress, identify strategies for tackling challenges and open the conversation about an often taboo subject.
“ I enjoy art therapy as I don’t like talking therapy”
Australia’s Parenting Research Centre studied the evidence around peer support interventions for parents and carers raising children with special needs. Their research included parents and carers with children suffering from a range of challenges and concluded overall that parents and carers in peer support interventions, reported improved wellbeing — feelings of belonging, support and empowerment, for example. They felt less isolated, and they expanded their social and support networks by meeting outside the programme. They felt more able to cope, and less depressed, guilty or lonely. Participants also reported that they learnt more about caring for their children.
A Creative Refuelling session can help parents recover the strength they need to cope with the daily stress of caring for their children. Your own child’s health and happiness may be your priority, but if you don’t look after your own health – both physical and emotional – you may have more difficulty giving them the focus and support they need.
“This is the first time in years that I have been offered support in terms of my needs in relation to my daughter’s mental health”
Keep an eye on our events page for future parent/carer workshops
