Art therapy bereavement interventions for gifted and talented youth

The purpose of this research is to create module-based art therapy grief interventions for parentally bereaved gifted students that can facilitate positive adaptation and personal growth and decrease future negative mental health risks resulting from their loss experience. Many gifted children possess distinctive affective attributes that shape their personalities that can hinder their opportunities to process loss if not understood within the context of their individual socio-emotional needs. Differentiated approaches to art therapy interventions can provide a means for processing loss while also attending the developmental, intellectual, and creative domains of gifted children. Spirituality, which is often one aspect explored in existential questioning, can be a protective factor. Art therapy and other expressive therapies facilitate such exploration, support meaning-making and, thus, can initiate individual growth.