Arts Therapy Clinic-Children in Crisis-CAMBODIA

Beauty In the Midst of Chaos 

Our Arts Therapy Clinic Team in Cambodia work with those who live in or have experienced situations of chaos from trafficking, domestic violence and abuse to being diagnosed with HIV or loosing a parent. Arts Therapy works towards enabling those in chaos to channel their experience into creativity and so discover their inner resources and resilience that they need to cope with situations that they so very often are unable to change. 

Ragamuffin provided a three-day Arts Therapy continuing professional development training for arts therapists, counsellors, social workers and professionals who support vulnerable people groups.

There are so many events in life we have little control over; these events take their course for better, for worse. When things seem to fall apart what place does Creative Therapy have in the midst of internal and external chaos? This training taught fundamental principles of Arts Therapy in addressing the deeply unsettling issues in our lives and our world. 

 "Working with deaf people is very difficult, Arts Therapy is a very effective approach to help them engage and express their inner world... they often feel so victimized by society, what I have learnt will help me to support them to be deeply heard, valued and respected" (Social Worker - course participant)

"The workshop of Creative Art Therapy helped me to step into and deal with chaos by using myself as artist. It has made me know more clearly about myself.  It has helped me face chaos and not avoid it. Now I really know more about the beauty of chaos and how to deal with it in my own life and especially how to deal with the very vulnerable children I support as a school counsellor. I feel that Art therapy is medicine for these children who live with so much violence, abuse and poverty". 

"The workshop showed me how to see the darkness of people around me. I have learnt how Arts Therapy can deal with mental health as well as depression, trauma, stress, reduce anger, reduce abusive behavior and so on. I will use this experience to help the children I work with and support". (School Counsellor - course participant)

"I know where my chaos is, how to deal with it, accept it and use it as for transformation. I have really discovered that chaos is my gift that has made me into the strong woman I am today and enables me to work with children in the most difficult circumstances and situations of suffering". (Counsellor - course participant) 

Ragamuffin continues to provide its Arts Therapy Service for children in crisis. The following is a statement from our senior Arts Therapist reflecting on her work with children who live with HIV:

"Throughout my therapeutic work this year, I have been continuing working with young orphans who have had HIV since they were born. After several sessions of psychological therapy with creative arts therapy, they have had significance improvement in their stress management skills, self-care, problem solving ability, and have become more emotionally stable in their daily life even though they continue to live with the same chaotic life situation, with chronic illness and social stigma. They found Arts Therapy to be the sacred medicine to heal their broken hearts, to discover their soul, and build a new relationship with themselves physically. As a result they have found new hope and courage to move on in life.

We would like to thank very much for all our sponsors through global giving and the global giving team for all your generous support in helping these young vulnerable people. Your support really means so much to them it helps them to find new chapter in their life and to create an inspirational history on this earth that will inspire many other vulnerable people in Cambodia to learn about hope and resilience in the midst of chaos." (Serey Samchet - Arts Therapist)

Thank you from Ragamuffin Cambodia!!!