Traveling Art Exhibit Puts Parents in Teenagers’ Shoes To Help Prevent Substance Use

Rosecrance’s “In My Shoes” Exhibit Reveals Pressures Teen Face Today To Inspire Meaningful Conversations Between Parents and Their Teens in Today’s Confusing Environment

In My Shoes exhibit helps parents understand teens’ points of view about pressures in their lives

Rockford, Ill. (October 20, 2014) / PR Newswire / — Rosecrance, one of the country’s leading teen substance abuse treatment centers, has launched a traveling art exhibit to help parents understand teenagers’ points of view about pressures they encounter and how they are faced with the potential to use, and abuse, substances. Developed by teen patients participating in an art therapy program at Rosecrance’s adolescent campus in Rockford, IL, “In My Shoes” encourages parents to understand their teen’s point of view and actively parent to help teens navigate today’s confusing environment.
“We believe this artwork display will be an impactful call to parents to do all they can to support their children and help prevent any level of substance use among their teen children,” said Thomas Wright, MD, the Chief Medical Officer at Rosecrance. “Teenagers want their parents to actively parent and give them the guidance and support they need, and that includes how to navigate what is happening around substances today. Once parents learn more about what it is like to walk in a teen’s shoes, we think they can have a more meaningful conversation.”

The shoes featured in the exhibit were donated by Rosecrance staff, then painted white so each teen had a blank canvas to tell his or her story. Developing this artwork is part of Rosecrance’s comprehensive art therapy program, which includes individuals and groups who create art as a tool of self-expression. It can help teens in treatment express feelings visually when they may not be able to share them verbally.

“From shoe selection to showcase, the process of creating shoe art is a meaningful experience for these teens in that each shoe is unique and visually tells the teen’s story about addiction, recovery, and the teens’ hopes and dreams for the future,” said Jennifer Thammavong, art therapist at Rosecrance. “The shoes also symbolize the steps that these teens have taken to overcome substance use and move forward with living happy and healthy lives.”

The exhibit, which contains more than a dozen unique shoes, is traveling to cities throughout the Midwest and also offers information for parents to take. Visit Rosecrance.org/InMyShoes to find out where the exhibit will be next.

ABOUT ROSECRANCE:

Rosecrance is a leading national provider of substance abuse treatment for teens, adults and families offering inpatient and outpatient programs, prevention, education and intervention services and recovery homes. Treating children for nearly 100 years, Rosecrance also now offers medically monitored detoxification services to teens aged 12-19, only one of a few providers that deliver this continuum of care in a treatment program.