MINDFUL ARTS PROGRAM
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Explore the Chris Center’s Mindful Arts Program, a dynamic wellness initiative that helps middle and high school students flourish both mentally and emotionally through the beauty of nature and creative artmaking! With a curriculum crafted by a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Registered Art Therapist (ATR), every activity is infused with therapeutic principles, ensuring it’s not only uplifting but also empowering and transformative!
Our Goals
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Promote self-awareness, enhance connection, and highlight nature's healing potential.
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Teach mindfulness attitudes to improve mood and reduce stress.
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Facilitate social interactions, collaboration, problem-solving, and community.
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Foster confidence in using diverse art materials, cultivate positive thinking patterns nurtured through the creative process.
Mindful arts activities provide a safe and welcoming space where participants can connect more deeply with nature and themselves through a process of reflective art-making. It begins with the here and now experience in nature, using mindfulness skills to awaken awareness, and is expanded and celebrated through the creative process of making art. Participants are invited to use art to reflect on their experience and learn to process emotions and thoughts in a safe, peaceful environment. During the 2024-2025 academic year, TCC Mindful Arts Program will be supporting student wellness at Options Noblesville and Options Westfield.
Shawn Haymaker
LMHC, ART, and Program Facilitator
Shawn Haymaker is a compassionate art therapist, blending his expertise in psychology and fine arts to facilitate healing and growth. With a Master's degree in Art Therapy from Indiana University, Shawn has dedicated his career to helping individuals navigate trauma, grief, addiction, and mental health challenges. Through his empathetic approach and belief in the therapeutic power of creativity, Shawn fosters a safe environment where clients can freely express themselves through various artistic mediums. Beyond his clinical practice, Shawn is a passionate advocate for community outreach and education, spreading awareness of the healing potential of art therapy. His work continues to inspire hope and resilience, making a profound impact on the lives of those he serves.
What our teens say...
"Everybody has a different way of expressing themselves and that's okay."
"I opened up to others instead of being alone."
My favorite part was being able to freely calm and chill down without worry/stress.