Heart Canvas Teacher Guide
Heart Canvas
Facilitator Guide • Session 2
Theme:
"My Feelings Are Real — And I Still Get to Be a Kid."
Session Objectives
- Facilitate emotional differentiation through sensory art.
- Practice somatic regulation (breath-body connection).
- Introduce CBT concepts (Thought-Feeling-Body Triangle).
- Foster narrative repair and inner child validation.
Required Materials
- Washable finger paints (primary and secondary colors).
- Heavyweight paper or "Inner World Art Journal" sheets.
- Wet wipes and towels for cleanup.
- Coping cards and fine-tip markers.
1. Opening Ritual: Sensory Check-In (5-8 mins)
Place the paint on the table before the student arrives. This signals a shift from verbal to expressive processing.
"Today we’re using our hands instead of just our words. Before we talk about the week, I want you to just feel the paint. No right or wrong way to do this."
2. Prompt 1: Inside / Outside Painting (15 mins)
Use the split-page worksheet. Left: "What people see." Right: "What I actually feel."
Facilitation Prompts:
- "Which side was easier to start?"
- "Which side has more energy or movement?"
- "Does one side feel heavier or lighter than the other?"
3. Mapping the Triangle (15 mins)
"Think of one stressful moment this week. Paint what that moment felt like in your body."
Name It to Tame It
Point to an intense section of their art. Ask: "If this color had a name, what emotion would it be?" Help her move from "freaking out" to specific labels like fear, hurt, or embarrassment.
Somatic Connection
Circle a part of the painting. Ask: "Where did this live in your body? What thought was attached to this specific color?"
4. Reclaiming Childhood (10 mins)
This is the most delicate part of the session. Keep it open and non-interpretive.
"You’ve mentioned that sometimes it feels like your childhood got taken because of the fighting at home. If little-you could paint something she didn’t get enough of... what would that look like?"
Processing: What did little-you need? What does she need now? What can current-you give her?
5. Closure & Coping (10 mins)
- Grounded Self-Talk: Create 2 phrases (e.g., "I don't have to carry their problems").
- Academic Mini-Goal: Set one realistic, small school task to foster a micro-win.
- Closing Reflection: Use the "I am still a kid who deserves..." stems.
Clinical Rationale
Emotional Differentiation Somatic Regulation Narrative Repair Cognitive Restructuring
Heart Canvas Activity Pack
Heart Canvas
Session 2: Emotional Check-In
Name: _______________________
Date: _______________________
Inside / Outside
Use colors, shapes, or movement to show the difference between what's on the surface and what's underneath.
OUTSIDE
What people see
INSIDE
What I actually feel
Observation
Which side was easier to paint?
Energy
Which side has more movement?
Weight
Which side feels "heavier"?
Mapping the Moment
Think of one stressful moment this week. Paint what that moment felt like in your body.
Somatic Map
THOUGHT
FEELING
BODY REACTION
Name It to Tame It
Trace around an intense section of your painting. If this color had a name, what emotion would it be? (Examples: Fear, Hurt, Anger, Loneliness, Overwhelmed)
Little-Me
If little-you could paint something she didn't get enough of... what would it look like?
What did she need then?
What does she need now?
Closing Reflection
I am still a kid who deserves...
My feelings make sense because...
I can calm my body by...
Academic Mini-Goal
One small task that feels doable this week:
Coping Card
Cut out and keep in your pocket or phone case
FRONT
EARLY SIGNS
Notice the shift in my body or thoughts...
BACK
MY PLAN
1
Name it.
2
Breathe.
3
Say:
Art Mark
"I don't have to carry their problems. I am allowed to be a kid."