Drawing therapy works great with Kids. Obsessive compulsive thoughts gone

My son was struggling in school and was showing signs of Post traumatic stress from our move and the trauma he had just watched me go through as well. So I handed him a blank piece of paper and a pen and had him draw his day. When I saw his paper and he told me about his picture I was stunned to see images of death and violence. He was only aloud to see G and PG movies so I was surprised. He had quit a vivid imagination and alot of fears. After he had finished, he skipped off cheerfully and did much better in school over the next several months. One moment he was in a panic and the next he was happy and free.

A few weeks ago while talking with my son at his bedside, he expressed to me that he had these terrible thoughts going through his head that wouldn't leave his mind. He was hitting his head and telling the thoughts to go away and leave him alone. So I again handed him a blank paper and a crayon and he began to draw. Of course the picture and theme was different but the thoughts were violent and death related. After he told me about his picture (I always ask, So, tell me about your drawing), I asked, how are your thoughts now? He said "they're gone. I'm trying to think of what I was thinking about and I can't". One other thing I did ask him to do was to pray and ask his Heavenly Father for help. I think the combination of divine help and expressive therapy made a nice outlet for his obsessive and traumatic thoughts to flee.

I was talking to a mom at play group the other day and she was telling me about her son having to be held down for an x-ray at the doctor. He of course was traumatized. Who wouldn't be. This conversation triggered my own memories of similar circumstances. Eye surgery at age three was the biggest one that came to mind. I took the opportunity to draw about it and the other situations (I just remembered vaccinations- I should draw that next).
After I was done I felt lighter, happier, like one more brick had been taken out of my backpack. I realized I'm still not done, I have childhood photos and diaries yet to go through. The deeper I dive the more I release, and the lighter I feel. The same goes for children. They just get a bigger head start at enjoying more peace and prosperity in their lives.