A new art therapy course in Werribee is helping child asylum seekers and refugees from Burma find their place in Australian culture.
Altona Meadows art therapist Mairead Ashcroft says the project, for children aged 9-12, is sometimes heartbreaking.
“We had a student social worker with us last week; she had to leave the room because she was crying [after hearing their stories],’’ Ms Ashcroft said.
“The aim of the therapy session is to enable the kids to feel part of the community and value themselves as an integral part of it.
“We did a meditation where I planted a seed on top of their heads and they imagined themselves growing in to a tree. It’s enriching to be among these kids and a gift to see their resilience.”
Burma has been a war-torn country since 1948.
Before coming to Australia, many of the children taking part in the sessions had only known life in a refugee camp on the Thai border. A research project funded by Hobsons Bay council’s community grants program found that members of the Karen community, many of whom have settled in Laverton and Wyndham, feel isolated because of their lack of English skills.
Ms Ashcroft says art therapy gives children a way to express themselves. More details at: www.artoflifewithmairead.com
