ArtClub
Where creativity meets connection — therapeutic art activities that support mental health, peer relationships, and resilience for tweens and teens.
ArtClub brings together a Center for Child Counseling therapist and a professional art instructor to offer weekly therapeutic art activities — from painting to pottery — for tweens and teens in Palm Beach and Martin Counties. The program is designed to increase feelings of community and connectedness, build resilience and coping skills, and decrease feelings associated with anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stress. And it's completely free.
A therapist partners with a professional art instructor — combining clinical expertise with creative expression.
Painting, pottery, mixed media, and more — specific activities depend on the group's focus and curriculum.
Building community and peer relationships in a safe, supportive space where teens can be themselves.
Why Art Heals
Research shows that creative arts activities are effective and accessible ways to support mental health in children and teens — reducing anxiety and depression, improving emotional regulation, and building the resilience young people need to navigate life's challenges.
Art provides a non-verbal way to process and express complex emotions that can be difficult to put into words.
Creative activities lower cortisol levels and activate the brain's relaxation response, easing symptoms of anxiety and stress.
Art offers a safe medium for teens to explore their identity, thoughts, and experiences without stigma.
Group art activities build community, reduce isolation, and create meaningful relationships with peers.
Creating something with their own hands builds self-efficacy, mastery, and a sense of accomplishment.
The creative process teaches problem-solving, flexibility, and the ability to sit with discomfort — core resilience skills.
For each ArtClub group cohort, a Center for Child Counseling therapist partners with a Lighthouse ArtCenter or Resource Depot art instructor to provide weekly therapeutic art activities. This unique pairing combines clinical expertise with professional artistic instruction — ensuring that every session is both therapeutically meaningful and creatively engaging.
Activities range from painting to pottery, mixed media to sculpture — with specific projects designed around each group's therapeutic focus and curriculum. The program is open to tweens and teens in Palm Beach and Martin Counties and is completely free thanks to grant funding.
Art offers something that traditional talk therapy cannot always provide — especially for adolescents. It conveys thoughts and feelings without complex verbal exchanges and without the stigmatizing associations that can prevent teens from seeking help. For many young people, making art together in a safe, supportive space is the first step toward healing.
Research demonstrates that art-based interventions are effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety in young people, while improving self-awareness, distress tolerance, communication, and confidence. ArtClub brings this science to life in a way that feels natural, fun, and deeply human.
Art as Part of Everything We Do
ArtClub is one expression of how we use creative and expressive arts across our entire organization. Within our public health approach, art therapy activities are woven into our clinical programs, group therapy, school-based services, and community events — because we know that play and creative expression are essential to how children process their world and build resilience.
Explore Art Activities →
Creating Together
ArtClub is made possible through creative partnerships with two of Palm Beach County's most valued arts organizations.
A cornerstone of the arts in Palm Beach County, Lighthouse ArtCenter provides professional art instructors who partner with our therapists to deliver engaging, skill-building art experiences for ArtClub participants.
Visit Lighthouse ArtCenter →
Resource Depot transforms surplus materials into creative learning opportunities. Their art instructors bring imagination and resourcefulness to ArtClub sessions, helping teens create with unexpected materials.
Visit Resource Depot →Interested in Joining a Group?
Fill out the form below and a member of our team will contact you about upcoming ArtClub groups.
Help Us Keep Creativity Flowing
ArtClub is free for every participant — but the art supplies, materials, and programming that make it possible depend on the generosity of our community. Your support helps ensure that every tween and teen who needs this program can access it.
Donate Now →