Drug-less Therapy to Help Special Needs Children

I met a fascinating woman a few weeks ago who does art therapy for children with all kinds of conditions. Whether it be Down syndrome, autism, Aspergers, ADHD, suicide and depression, Ms. Gloria Teng has dealt with a plethora of special needs cases very successfully.

What’s the difference between art therapy and what Ms. Gloria does?

Some therapists may claim to use art therapy on kids as a form of treatment, but there isn’t always a guided process to this. They basically hand kids paper or canvas and art supplies, then ask them to “do art.” Gloria believes all children need a customized program for their specific needs. She’s worked with psychologists (she is also one herself), psychiatrists, and artists in the U.S. and the Philippines to develop her personalized art therapy programs.

In other words, kids need to be guided step by step, their behavior issues addressed, and taught art skills with consideration for their special need, to get to the point of being able to express themselves through art in an excellent way. There’s a science to what she does.

I was amazed at the outcomes! Here are some masterpieces painted in acrylic and water color by her students…(she uses acrylic and water color because they are non-toxic for the children.)

It was my mom who introduced me to Ms. Gloria. She said, “You have to meet this lady. And you have to tell others about her!”

I was in the mall, in the middle of a project for a client, and my mom insisted that it had to be that day. My mom isn’t a demanding person so I knew she saw something special in this woman. So I carved out some time that afternoon to sit down with Ms. Gloria.

When I finally met Ms. Gloria and saw the results of her cases, I was convinced that she is one of the best persons in Manila to help children with special needs. Medical City has even partnered with her so she can equip therapists to utilize her approaches.

I know how desperate parents can be to find ways to reach and better the lives of their special needs children. Ms. Gloria has the patience, experience, and heart for such kids. Plus, she wants children to avoid taking medications and drugs to treat their issues.

Her rates are also affordable. They are case to case, depending on how much time she will need to work with a child, and how much behavior intervention she will have to do. Sometimes special needs kids can be violent, and she has to get them to a point of calming down so they can focus and learn to express themselves through art. These are tougher cases, but she’s seen successes even with the most difficult conditions.

At present, Ms. Gloria is also treating depression and suicidal tendencies in youth and adults. Through art people are able to confront and process their emotions and problems, and channel these in a constructive and healthy way.

She’s still pretty old school in the sense that she doesn’t market herself aggressively online. So I was like, “Let me tell people about you!”

Her desire is not to draw attention to herself but to minister to children. In the hour that we spent together, she blessed me with her own life story and her journey into art therapy.

If you have a special needs’ child or know someone who does, you may want to consider paying Ms. Gloria a visit to consult with her. Or, if you want to, you and your child can sign up for classes yourself, just to learn art because she is a wonderful teacher!

To find out more information about her classes and therapy sessions, I took a photo of her contact details for your reference: