Paint the Stars Art Therapy, LLC

02/20/2026

Where are our medals?! Oh nevermind, we do it because we want to help people 🤦🏼‍♀️😬

02/18/2026

**Trigger warning**
Self-harm is more common than most people realize. We, as a group practice, will almost always recommend DBT as the foremost recommended form of treatment. Yes, other therapies can be utilized alongside or as supplementary help but DBT has been proven to successfully help those dealing with self harm urges.

Self-harm should not be confused with or grouped with suicidal ideation. These are not the same things and most who are struggling with self harm have no intention of causing major harm to themselves. We often hear teens and adults talk about how quickly an urge can come over them. We want these clients to pause and attempt coping skills but many feel they barely have time to think and process.

Enter the jar 🫙 of hope…
Our coping skills jar.

Creating multiple options for coping to remove the thinking that becomes too much in the moment. The jar will tell you what you need to do—piece by piece. Go through the whole jar? Put them all back and do it all over again. Practice makes progress. The more you practice these skills the easier they come to you and the more likely they are to distract and calm you when you are feeling overwhelmed.

02/16/2026

Shameless plug! Robyn’s son is participating in the Most Artistic Kid of America! Show him some love ❤️

Unique. A Leader. Creative. Genuine. These Traits Represent Incredible Artists Out There In The World And They Are Also How I’d Describe Dan

02/14/2026

Remember to start by loving yourself first…The rest is easy 🫶🏼
Happy Valentine’s Day!

02/12/2026

Happy Children’s Mental Health Week! Say hi to our newest addition to the Manalapan office, MELLOW! Mellow will live in our playroom and help kids use breathing as a calming tool. Take a 👀

02/11/2026

Check it out!

NJ Transit has announced a statewide student art competition celebrating America’s 250th birthday. The competition is open to all New Jersey high school students to design bus graphics by creating original artwork celebrating America’s milestone birthday, while also highlighting New Jersey’s contributions to our nation’s history. FULL STORY 🔗 in comments below.

02/11/2026

School Anxiety:
Many parents and educators don’t quite understand how debilitating school related anxiety can be.
It’s heavy, it’s constant and at times it’s paralyzing.

In this image, a middle schooler describes the scene: “like you know those movies where the police interrogate someone. The light is heavily on them, it’s like that.” Breathing hard, sweating, feeling as if everyone is staring at you but at the same time you are all alone.

Without this image this teen was unable to describe what their anxiety was like in this environment. This is just a small part of what art therapy does. It’s finding the words without needing a single letter.

02/10/2026

02/05/2026

Mmmkay then.

02/03/2026

We’ve been seeing and hearing a lot about racism both in the real world and inside of our office. Here is a start to progressively working on an irrational fear of dark skinned people. Watch as we connect each step along the way. It may take several sessions but we will get there!

02/02/2026

A tremendous loss

In Memoriam: Barbara L. Wheeler, past-president AMTA

Our hearts are with Barbara’s family, her loved ones, and colleagues across the music therapy community as we grieve the passing of someone whose presence and work shaped our profession in lasting ways.

The depth of Barbara’s commitment and the mark she made will live on—carried forward by those she mentored, influenced, and inspired for years to come.

02/02/2026

Happy PLAY THERAPY week!
It’s not just play… it’s processing, it’s thoughts, it’s feelings, it’s emotion regulation, it’s role playing, it’s problem solving!