Landscapes of safety: an empirical study on expressive leisure and children with post-traumatic experiences

Children who have experienced abuse often struggle to articulate their trauma verbally. This study explores how leisure-based therapeutic interventions, using guided imagery, movement, drawing, and culturally familiar games, can support emotional healing among institutionalized boys in the Philippines. The intervention was designed to create a therapeutic landscape: a symbolic space that was both physical and imagined, allowing for safe emotional expression through leisure. Eight participants, aged seven to seventeen, engaged in a single session that integrated embodied and creative practices rooted in their cultural context. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and an analysis of their artwork and group interactions. Recurring themes in their expressions included solitude, nature motifs, and a desire for imagined control. The children's drawings and conversations showed signs of fear and a need for protection, alongside glimpses of resilience and hope. Findings suggest that these expressive, leisure-based interventions can be a culturally sensitive and cost-effective approach to trauma recovery in shelter settings. This study affirms that healing can emerge not only through clinical intervention but also through moments of play, imagination, and movement within thoughtfully designed leisure spaces.