Creative & Therapeutic Arts (CTA) Team
The Creative & Therapeutic Arts team is made up of Music Therapists, Dance Movement Psychotherapists, a Massage Therapist and a Special Yoga Practitioner.
The team works to enhance, support and motivate wellbeing and development at an emotional, psychological, physical and social level for the children and young people at Linden Lodge School. We provide highly specialist therapeutic support that is person-centred and delivered by qualified practitioners to support pupils during their time with us.
Music Therapy and Dance Movement Psychotherapy
Music Therapy and Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) are psychological, clinical interventions which aim to support a person holistically and to promote positive change in relation to their needs and development. The Arts Therapies use a creative medium (music or movement) as the primary means of connecting to support emotional wellbeing and to facilitate opportunities for relationship building, communication, self-development and developmentally appropriate play.
Our work is influenced by many areas of psychodynamic practice, including attachment theory, trauma and early child development, and is grounded in the concept that our early life experiences shape and influence how we interact with and experience the world around us. Our therapists are registered with their corresponding professional body (HCPC, BAMT and ADMP).
Arts therapies are available to children and young people across the school — from Early Years to Sixth Form — and sessions are responsive to each pupil’s needs. Sessions are allocated on a referral basis and pupils can be offered individual sessions or small group sessions depending on the reasons for referral. The duration of the course of therapy is determined during assessment and review. A number of pupil’s also receive sessions in line with their EHCP.
Reasons for referral may include:
- Emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.
- Pupil may be withdrawn, depressed, angry r lacking in confidence or social skills
- Struggling with life experiences
- Undergoing a transition e.g. moving home, new sibling, bereavement or loss
- Experiencing physical illness, living with life-limiting condition or recovering from surgery and need space to process feelings around this
- Experiencing difficulties relating to others
If you would like to find out more about how your child can access Arts Therapies please contact your child’s Class Teacher or Head of Department. For further information, you can also visit the following websites:
Music Therapy – www.bamt.org
Dance Movement Psychotherapy – www.admp.org.uk
Special Yoga
Our mission is to inclusively and holistically support children & young people with sensory needs and additional needs through our multi-dimensional Special Yoga and Mindfulness methodology. These therapeutic interventions include the classical yoga practices of movement, breathing and deep relaxation combined with sound, rhythm, massage and sensory integration techniques.
Recognising and attuning to the unique needs of the individual, we strive to create personalised practices that encourage students to their fullest potential, celebrating the strength within each child and working from there. We understand that taking children & young people out of stress and into a relaxed state creates the optimum condition and possibility for positive change.
The benefits of Special Yoga and Mindfulness include:
- Improving motor control and motor planning skills
- Developing physical strength, muscle tone and balance
- Promoting flexibility and correcting postural misalignment
- Increasing self-awareness
- Establishing calm, organised mental states
- Improving concentration
- Reducing hyperactivity
- Relieving respiratory ailments
- Reducing fear, frustration and stress
- Enriching the quality and quantity of sleep
Particularly during this challenging time, we are doing all we can to ensure simple but effective practices are made available across the school to help keep our students in the best emotional and physical health possible. A number of class groups receive group Special Yoga sessions and there is limited capacity for short-term individual input.
If you would like to find out more about how your child can access Special Yoga at school please contact your child’s Class Teacher or Head of Department. For further information, you can also visit the following website: www.specialyoga.org.uk
Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy is the therapeutic use of touch to promote relaxation, body awareness and to support each pupil's overall physical health and emotional wellbeing. Massage Therapy at Linden Lodge centres around a holistic approach which is personalised and responsive to each pupil’s needs. A number of classes access group Massage Therapy sessions on a weekly basis.
Within the daily activities of the school day, we aim to deliver Massage Therapy sessions which are flexible and designed to provide a trusting, safe and calm environment for students and staff to be present in the here and now. We use simple massage techniques and the use of the Story Massage programme, as a therapeutic support for creating a nurturing and interactive environment in which pupils can explore their needs and preferences.
The benefits of Massage for children and young people with sensory needs and additional needs can include:
- Reduced stress and improved emotional wellbeing.
- Reduced pain and improved immune system.
- Improved range of movement, flexibility and mobility.
- Relaxed muscle tension and soft tissue release.
- Improved touch sensitiveness.
- Improved digestion.
- Increased capacity for relaxation.
- Improved circulation.
- Child and caregiver bonding, supporting healthy relationships.
- Improved quality of sleep and rest.
- Enhanced ability to learn about their world around them.
If you would like to find out more about how your child can access Massage Therapy at school please contact your child’s Class Teacher or Head of Department.