I had an individual session with a 6-year-old girl on an activity called A Day of Feelings. She and her family had just moved into the emergency shelter about two weeks ago. Her mother was a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault. She came in with the girl and her older brother. The little girl had witnessed her father hitting her mother at home. She did not want to have to change schools or move at first. 

I started by asking how she was feeling after moving into the shelter. She said she felt happy because she was able to play with the other kids in the shelter. She was a very friendly girl and liked to interact with the other kids and staff. She also said she liked her new school and had made a lot of friends. 

I asked if she wanted to draw how she was feeling on a piece of paper. She drew a flower with a smiling face. She also drew sun, clouds, and a bee. I noticed the bee had a sad face. I asked her why the bee looked sad. She started to talk about one of the girls who was mean to her at school. I spoke with her and explained how she can draw a boundary and protect herself at school. She was happy and liked the art activity.

The workshop helped me with building a rapport with the child. It created a safe space for her to express how she felt and what happened to her at school. It helped me to understand what she needed and how I can support her in different ways.