Transformational Art Therapy is dedicated to empower teens and young adults with a comprehensive set of life-affirming growth experiences through the arts.
Our Challenge
It is well known that there are many children living in poverty throughout Los Angeles who face daunting challenges. They are surrounded by drug use, gang activity, domestic violence, crime, and struggle to survive with limited resources. Single parents often sustain more than 50% of these households. Our participants need reasonable support systems like our mentors, and the lessons we offer, to help them process their challenges and make better life and day-to-day decisions.
As an example, we can look at TAT’s neighboring Venice and Mar Vista neighborhoods in West Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Unified School District reports that the dropout rates at Venice High School are among the highest in Los Angeles. Of the 1,000 students who make it to 9th grade 28% drop out before 12th grade.
At Mark Twain Middle School 70% of seventh graders are reported as failing to achieve the minimum aerobic capacity standard for health due to sedentary lifestyles with unhealthy eating habits and low to no physical activities. These youth have no “sense of future” or a consistent role model in their lives.
The downturn in the economy has reduced government and foundational funds provided to regular academic programs as well as organizations like ours. But the need in these communities for effective alternative healing services is still extreme.
At Transformational Art Therapy (TAT) Center, we empower gifted youth so they can take charge of their lives. TAT creative writing, expressive arts and emotional release methods are highly effective in solving and transforming physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual problems and blockages. They nurture literacy, scholastic engagement and self-esteem while facilitating the discovery of new paths and inspirations to enrich life.
The Transformational journey of Psychosynthesis is incorporated throughout our creative writing, expressive, and centering sessions. It creates a safe space for youth to process the integration of body, mind and spirit in order to become balanced, happy, supportive members of the community.
