According to Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development, young people at the age of 13-21 are undergoing the psychosocial crisis of Identity vs Role Confusion. They are expected to develop their sexual identity through this stage which is gained through the discovery of oneself and in the course of finding meaning to their personhood as a result of the transition from childhood to adulthood. Crisis at this stage may also be brought about by expectations from themselves and from people around them, especially the significant others like parents.

 

Facing emotional turbulences, teenagers may find difficult to establish healthy relationships with others. Concentration and learning ability may also be weakened, and academic performance may be degraded. Struggles that are difficult to express verbally may also be manifested through inappropriate behaviors. The teens may be labelled as “bad” and “disobedient” students by parents, teachers or classmates, undermining their self-confidences and self-esteems, which in turn affects their mood and life. However, most schools today tend to focus on academic performance instead. The resources for emotional education are relatively limited. Even if those cases are being taken care of by school social workers, it is difficult to meet every need comprehensively. Moreover, for low income families, they are usually not able to afford the expensive costs of private professional counselling and expressive arts therapy services.

 

Therefore, OBSE’s project “Art for Mind・Art for Life” can subsidize teenagers who are struggling with intense emotions and in financial needs to enjoy low-cost or free expressive arts therapy workshops or continuous therapy groups to relieve their tensions.