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Abbotsford group uses art to help teens process mental trauma

Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation provided funding for Adolescent Day Treatment Program
foundry-abbotsford
Foundry Abbotsford hosts the Adolescent Day Treatment Program services, which helps youth between 13 and 18 years old.

As mental health issues continue to plague residents of B.C. and beyond, one Fraser Valley group is turning towards the arts to help these individuals get the support they so desperately need.

Foundry Abbotsford is home to many youth support programs, one of which is the Adolescent Day Treatment Program (ADTP), which uses art therapy and other services to promote well-being in teens suffering from mental disorders.

According to a 2022 study from Statistics Canada, this is an age group that is in urgent need of such programs, with people aged 15 to 24 years old reporting the highest instance of mood and anxiety disorders. 

This is a particularly prevalent problem among young women, with nearly a quarter of all females between 15 and 24 years old suffering from social phobia, while 12 per cent have a generalized anxiety disorder, 8 per cent have bipolar disorder, and more than 18 per cent have major depressive episodes.

To offer these individuals more mental health support, the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation recently provided the funding for art therapy sessions in Abbotsford, which ADTP East mental health therapist at Foundry Abbotsford, Kevin Bredeman, said the group is extremely grateful for.

"We are grateful from the generous support provided through the Fraser Valley Healthcare Foundation to provide bi-weekly art therapy programming at the Adolescent Day Treatment Program here in Abbotsford," Bredeman said. 

"The art therapist, Kathy, who has been providing this service creates a very warm, supportive environment for the youth to get creative, and they have responded really well to her. Kathy has helped youth with a wide variety of art techniques and project ideas. She has been great at engaging youth even when they are struggling to engage, or having a bad day to get creative, and youth have been proud of many of the projects they have created with her. We look forward to continuing with this partnership in 2025."

ADTP is a referral-based program for youth aged 13 to 18 years old from the Fraser East region (Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, and Fraser Cascade), who are not attending school due to their mental health difficulties. Referrals typically come from local Child and Youth Mental Health centres in collaboration with schools.

More information on ADTP in Abbotsford can be found at www.fraserhealth.ca/Service-Directory/Services/mental-health-and-substance-use.



Brandon Tucker

About the Author: Brandon Tucker

I have been a journalist since 2013, with much of my career spent covering sports and entertainment stories in Alberta.
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