“Attentive to their drawing”: A pilot study of the implications of a single session mindfulness-based art therapy intervention on early childhood assistants

Early childhood assistants (ECA) often cope with job-related stressors and experience burnout. This study examined the implications for ECAs of a single session mindfulness-based art therapy (SSMBAT) intervention that combined mindfulness with drawing and photography in a group setting. In this qualitative study, a convenience sample of 16 ECA volunteers were recruited after they had taken part in the SSMBAT as part of an ECA training program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore their experiences during the SSMBAT. The questions focused on mindfulness, understanding and practice, and its possible contribution to personal or professional life. The thematic analysis revealed that mindfulness practices in the workshop elicited an impact in the sensory, emotional, cognitive and metacognitive, and behavioral domains. Components of the workshop, such as mindfulness sitting and walking meditations, artmaking and group sharing were seen as contributing to professional and self-development, working with children, teamwork with peers, and communication with the children’s parents. The results underscore the theoretical as well as the practical value of SSMBAT. They contribute to the scant literature on the wellbeing of ECA and efforts to support them.