Clay Therapy Club

All work and no play makes one a dull child, they say. 

That's why institutions like the St. Francis of Assisi School of Silay City encourage students to engage in extracurricular activities.

At SFAS, students from grades 4 to 10 get a chance to choose from a total of 18 school clubs, including the Arts and Crafts Club, the Book Lovers Club, the Chess Club, the Football Club, and the Volleyball Club. By joining a club, students learn to act as a team and take on leadership roles. They get to expand their friendships and meet others who share their interests and ideas.

One of the newest clubs at SFAS is called the Clay Therapy Club, headed by Ms. April Suating and joined already by seventeen members.

The SFAS Clay Therapy Club members with their first master piece

Self-expression may come naturally to some students. Others, however, sometimes struggle to express their feelings, especially with words. 

"Clay has the capacity to quickly absorb and express what we are feeling, especially when we are not clear about our thoughts," Ms. April shares. 

Dubbed as the "Cinderella of art therapies", clay therapy can be a powerful -- and creative -- medium for conveying emotions and issues like fear, anger, and grief or loss.

                                                   Outputs of the Clay Therapy Club members

By nature, clay makes for both catharsis and creative escapism. Molding, shaping clay stirs up layers of emotions that makes it easier for the student to express themselves through their clay sculptures.

Club members engrossed with their clay work

Every meeting starts with Ms. April announcing a theme for their clay work, and it ends with a group sharing session, where Ms. April also gives the students advice and helps them become more open with their feelings.