This study examined if art therapy given to both a mother and her son had any effects on the
mother’s parenting style and on reducing the child’s emotional anxiety. The participants of the study were a boy (10 years old) attending an elementary school in city P and his mother (36 years old). A total of 27 sessions were given to them. Each session was two hours long, one session a week. During the half of each session, which was one hour, the child wasleft playing freely while the mother had a conference with the researcher. The remaining one hour of each session was spent to provide arttherapy to the mother and son. The child’s younger brother (8 years old) also participated in the therapy on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 15th session. The researcher administered a parenting test and anxiety test to the participants in a pre, post, and follow up fashion, and compared the results from the tests. In addition, the researcher observed changes in attitudes and behavior of the participants along the course of the therapy sessions.
First, the study found that art therapy given to both the mother and son caused positive change in the mother’s parenting. Second the son’s emotional anxiety reduced with the therapy sessions. Finally, art therapy given to both the mother and son had a positive influence on the relationship between the mother and son. On the whole, the study showed that art therapy given to boththe mother and son was effective in improving the mother’s parenting style.
Key Words : Mom’s Parenting Style, Emotionally Unstable Child, Art Therapy Given to Both a Mother and the Son