How Do I Know That Creative Art Therapy Is Helping?
Many parents at our Brighton and Pittsford locations ask, 'How do I know if therapy is helping my child?' As a parent, you want the best for your child and want to make sure seeing a specialist is worthwhile. It can be tough to keep going when progress feels slow, especially when your child’s behavior tests your patience. At Spotted Rabbit Creative Arts Therapy, we understand! In this post, we will share signs that therapy is working and offer tips to help your child get the most out of it.
Happily Attending
This sign is often overlooked, likely because it seems so straightforward. If your child is excited to meet with their therapist and engage in art making, this enthusiasm can be seen as a strong indicator that they are benefiting from the experience. Early sessions with children typically focus on relationship building, which serves as a foundation for therapeutic work. This emphasis is important, as one of the strongest predictors of therapeutic success is a positive connection with the provider, regardless of the type of therapy practiced (Stubbe D. E., 2018).
Spotted Rabbit's creative arts therapists want to help children feel safe and comfortable. Children can express thoughts and feelings without judgment. However, not every child is ready to open up to a stranger right away. That is why a successful art therapy session might look like playing a board game, reading a book together, or creating with art materials in a non-directive way. For more hesitant children, progress may look like simply staying for the full session or trying a new activity. These small steps are meaningful and worth noticing.
Improving Communication
Communication development may look different depending on the child and their needs. For many children, it may show up as an increased ability to identify and express feelings. Instead of becoming overwhelmed or having a tantrum, they might begin to say, “I feel angry,” “I’m frustrated,” or “I’m sad.” For some children, progress may look like increased eye contact, more engagement in social interactions, initiating conversations with peers, or participating in back-and-forth conversations.
You might also notice your child starting to compromise or express disagreements more calmly. They may need less support resolving conflicts or solving problems. Improvements in listening skills or following multi-step directions are also positive signs to look for. Reinforcing these positive behaviors at home can help turn skills into habits, which may support your child’s ability to communicate consistently and effectively.
“A spirited, unruly student is preferable. It’s much easier to direct passion than to try and inspire it."
JOAN DESMOND
Increased Confidence
Building confidence is a common goal, especially for children who are experiencing anxiety. Art therapy is particularly helpful for managing anxiety, as creating art naturally increases dopamine (the feel-good chemical) and decreases cortisol (the stress hormone) (Nobel, 2024). The act of creating can also give children a sense of accomplishment, which helps build resilience.
In art therapy, children have the freedom to create without fear, judgment, or pressure, allowing them to take pride in their work. Outside of sessions, this may show up as a greater willingness to try new things, make independent choices, and tolerate stress more effectively. These skills are often naturally practiced during the creative process.
Behavioral Improvements
Behavioral concerns are one of the most common reasons children are brought to therapy. When looking to change behaviors, it is important to remember that change does not happen overnight. Behaviors are a response, and they are often learned over years (McLeod, 2025). While correcting these patterns may not take as long as they took to develop, it is helpful to keep this in mind when your child is testing your patience.
Early improvements may be subtle, such as a more positive attitude toward non-preferred tasks, beginning to name feelings, or attempting to use coping skills. More noticeable changes, such as fewer meltdowns, reduced anxiety, and increased use of self-soothing strategies, may take longer to develop. There is no strict timeline. Every child progresses at their own pace, and growth is rarely linear. It takes time to challenge established patterns, but getting a child support early can help improve outcomes, reduce issues in the home, at school, and in relationships (CDC, 2025).
More “Little Wins”
Little wins are the small moments that note improvement. These are also often an overlooked sign that therapy is helping your child. These can be easily missed and may require intentional attention. This may look like your child managing disappointment without a meltdown, using coping skills independently, or speaking more positively about themselves. Even if they return to previous behaviors later (which can feel frustrating), that initial success still matters.
Using a skill once when they couldn’t before is real progress! Challenging negative self-talk, even a single time, starts building confidence. Self-soothing when frustrated takes emotional growth. When you start looking for these small changes, you’ll likely notice more of them than you expected.
Some little wins to look for:
- Taking turns in a game
- Naming emotions
- Helping a peer calm down
- Quicker recovery after a meltdown
- Fewer prompts to finish tasks
- Saying “I can do it” and other verbalizations of confidence
- Trying something new
- Asking for help
How Can I Help My Child Succeed?
Parents Participation
Therapy is most effective when children are supported at home. Consider this: if a child attends therapy for one hour per week, they still have 167 hours outside of the therapy room. That is where most of life and learning happen. Therapy is still valuable, but it’s more impactful if parents reinforce skills in everyday situations.
How parents can help kids benefit from therapy
- Normalize therapy: Talk with your child about therapy so they understand it’s not a punishment or something to be ashamed of. This helps build a positive attitude toward the process.
- Celebrate the little wins: Recognizing progress, no matter how small, can help increase confidence and motivation.
- Practice coping skills: Encourage your child to use the strategies they are learning, especially during calm moments, so they are easier to access during moments of stress.
- Talk with their therapist: Check in about what skills are being worked on and how you can support them at home. Our therapists are happy to connect by phone or email. You can also schedule a parent session to discuss goals and progress.
Concerns about progress
If you have read this far and are concerned about your child’s progress, it is understandable to wonder what to do next. It is important to note that consistency and continuity of care are essential for building a strong therapeutic relationship. Having a consistent provider can improve communication, reduce stress, and strengthen trust. Even when progress may seem slow, it may be worth continuing with the therapist if a strong relationship has been established.
If your child seems to be struggling to connect, it is worth a conversation with their therapist to determine next steps. This could include changing the approach being used, or in some cases, discussing whether the therapist is a good fit. The goal of Spotted Rabbit is always the same: helping your child succeed and get the most out of coming to therapy.
Your role as a parent is not to be understated. Supporting your child at home, celebrating progress, helping your child practice skills, and talking with their therapist helps turn therapy into long-lasting and positive change. And even when things feel slow, remember that progress is progress, no matter how small.
If you're a New York resident and would like to see how Spotted Rabbit Creative Arts Therapy can help your child thrive, check out our website to connect and learn more, or have a free consult with one of our child & adolescent art therapists. If you’re a Rochester local, we have offices in Brighton and Pittsford. If not, we also offer virtual sessions!
If you would like to know more about how art therapy specifically benefits children, check out this blog post: 8 Powerful Reasons Kids Benefit From Art Therapy
We have new groups forming for kids, teens, and adults. Want something that doesn’t feel like therapy? Check out our D&D groups for developing social skills. Coming up in April, we will also have a group for transgender and gender nonconforming tweens and teens. You can view and sign up for any of our Spring 2026 workshops and groups here.
Together, we can support your child's happiness, self-understanding, and development through creative expression. You don't have to do this alone.
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This post was written by Kyle Lang, a creative arts therapist at Spotted Rabbit Creative Arts Therapy. Learn more about their background and approach on their bio page, and to book a session.