Lilly T. Aung and Maha Y. See describe an arts-, music-, and movement-based approach to psychosocial support for displaced children from Myanmar.
Since the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, thousands of children have experienced displacement, family separation, interrupted education, and prolonged uncertainty. While humanitarian responses often focus on food, shelter, and physical safety, psychosocial well-being remains equally important. This article describes the implementation of the Therapeutic Expressive Activities (TEA) program with displaced children in Ban Mai Noi Soi (BMNS) refugee community in Northern Thailand and reflects on what we observed through arts-based psychosocial support.
The Setting
Ban Nai Soi is a village in Mae Hong Son Province in northern Thailand. Approximately three kilometers away from the main village, across a stream, is a Myanmar refugee camp. It is commonly known as the BMNS camp. In 1989, a refugee camp was established across the border in Myanmar, but no one now stays there for long. It now serves only as a way station for civilians fleeing military and political violence.
The BMNS camp, as it exists today, was relocated multiple times before settling into its current location inside Thailand. Over time, it has come to resemble a village, inhabited primarily by Karenni people, along with Karen, Shan, and Burmese refugees and migrant workers.
The Community Partner
There are no formal schools within the BMNS camp. Instead, the Karenni Baptist Association Ebenezer Church (KBAEC), managed by the local Karenni community and supported by the diaspora, provides education for children. KBAEC celebrated its jubilee year in December 2025.
Through a professional connection with the first author, the Myanmar Clinical Psychology Consortium (MCPC) was invited to work with the church and its community. After multiple communications, including about MCPC’s Therapeutic Expressive Activities (TEA) program, developed by the second author, the community agreed to host the program.
A few teachers actively supported and assisted in several TEA activities. Their involvement also provided opportunities to learn the activities, enabling them to implement them independently later.
The Children
Eighteen children participated in the TEA program. Their ages range from 8 to 12 years of age. They are all from KBAEC and some also attend an official Thai school in Ban Nai Soi. All are displaced. While some of them were born in the camp, most arrived 2 to 5 years ago, along with parents who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement in the aftermath of the 2021 military coup. Some of them were former government workers in Myanmar with a certain level of education and professional experience. Now in Thailand as refugees, some parents work as maids in town, day laborers at shops or on farms in the surrounding areas. Despite the challenges associated with displacement, the children demonstrated many strengths commonly associated with positive adaptation. They attended school regularly, maintained friendships, participated enthusiastically in group activities, and engaged in age-appropriate play. These observations stood in contrast to reports from children living in unstable displacement settings or active conflict zones within Myanmar.
Therapeutic Expressive Activities (TEA) Program
The TEA program was conducted in January 2026 over four weeks at KBAEC. Developed by the second author, TEA is being adapted and implemented by trained counselors within MCPC across Myanmar and diaspora communities.
The program is grounded in five core principles: (1) Safety and Trust First; (2) Choice and Control; (3) Non-verbal Expression; (4) Cultural Relevance; and (5) Integration and Closure of the Sessions.
These principles are informed by developmental psychology and emphasize how children think and feel about their experiences, both individually and socially. Given the participants’ displacement, the program was delivered with a trauma-informed approach, incorporating co-regulation strategies. Particular care was taken to ensure cultural resonance, especially as all participants belonged to ethnic minority groups.
It is important to distinguish TEA from formal creative arts therapies. Art therapy, music therapy, dance/movement therapy, and play therapy are specialized clinical professions requiring extensive professional training. TEA is not intended to diagnose, treat, or process severe psychological difficulties. Instead, it uses creative and expressive activities to promote self-expression, relaxation, emotional support, social connection, and psychological well-being within a structured and trauma-informed environment.
The program consisted of eight sessions (2.5 hours each):
- Safe Spaces — My Circle of Safety
- My Story — Where I Came From
- Feelings in Color and Sound
- Storm and Calm
- My Strengths and Helpers
- My Friends and Community
- My Dreams and Hopes
- Celebration and Continuing
The TEA program was conducted in two groups: one group with eight younger children (5-7 years old) and another with 11 older children 8-12 years old). The sessions were facilitated by the first author under the supervision of the second author.
Key Observations
Safety
Although many of the younger children (ages 5-7) had limited or no memory of life in Myanmar, all expressed a clear sense of physical and emotional safety in their current environment. When asked during activities and group discussions. Similarly, children consistently reported feeling comfortable and safe participating in the TEA program. These verbal reports were supported by behavioral observations, including participation, willingness to share artwork and stories, spontaneous interaction with facilitators, and increasing engagement across sessions.
Personal Identification
Children’s narratives about “my story” often drew upon both daily life experiences and Christian teachings. All participants identified as Christian and attended a Christian school, and biblical stories provided the older children with familiar reference points of understanding themselves and their experiences. Older children spoke about helping others “like Jesus” or the Good Samaritan, being courageous despite “small like David,” for standing firm in difficult circumstances “like Daniel.” These narratives suggest that faith-based stories provided an important framework through which many children interpreted personal values, resilience, and community in a developmentally appropriate way.
Expression of Feelings
Children expressed emotions primarily through art, drawing on familiar imagery such as homes, clouds, trees, hearts, and crosses as well as with their selection of music and dance or “fun” movements. Their cultural integration in Thailand was evident in references to Thai food, music, and games. Younger children spoke primarily Thai, while older children and some teachers interpreted between Burmese and Thai for some activities. A few also used basic English learned at school. Mostly, the activities did not require interpretation.
As sessions progressed, children became noticeably more comfortable with both the facilitators and the activities. During the early sessions, some participants waited for direction before engaging. By the second and third sessions, many volunteered answers, initiated conversations, requested preferred art materials, experimented with musical instruments independently, and actively encouraged peers to participate. Their artistic and verbal expressions became increasingly spontaneous, confident, and detailed.
Psychological Well-being
The children generally appeared well-adjusted and showed no obvious signs of significant psychological distress during the program. They engaged in imaginative play, cooperative games, humor, and creative exploration consistent with developmental expectations for their age. Play therapists often describe play as children’s natural language and a primary means through which they explore experiences, express emotions, and make sense of their world. Even in contexts of displacement or adversity, children continue to play when opportunities are available, although themes of safety, protection, or frightening experiences may sometimes emerge within their play. The children in this program appeared to benefit from supportive community environment that allowed such play and social connection to continue.
During the My Friends and Community session, the children spontaneously formed the letters L-O-V-E using their bodies—an unprompted and powerful expression of connection. They also collaboratively created artwork depicting Nai Soi village, reflecting a strong sense of belonging.
In the Dreams and Hopes session, many children expressed aspirations related to financial stability. Others shared goals such as becoming soldiers to oppose the military junta, becoming pastors, or building families of their own.
Reflections and Continuity
The experience of children in Ban Mai Nai Soi also reminds us that psychosocial support is not only about responding to distress but also about creating opportunities for expression, connection, play, and hope. While many uncertainties remain regarding education, legal status, and long-term futures for displaced children along the Thailand-Myanmar border, programs such as TEA provide one way of supporting resilience in the present. As MCPC continues to adapt and expand the program across Myanmar and diaspora communities, we hope to learn alongside the communities we serve and to contribute practical knowledge for others working with displaced children in similarly challenging contexts.
Lilly T. Aung holds a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology and is an MCPC alumna. Trained in therapeutic art and play at MCPC, she also studied art in Myanmar. She is currently pursuing an online art therapy program in the UK and has provided supervised counseling since 2018.
Maha Y. See, PsyD, is the founder, director, and faculty member of the Myanmar Clinical Psychology Consortium (MCPC). A community worker for more than 30 years and active in the mental health field since 2006, he was born and educated in Myanmar before continuing his studies in Singapore and the United States. His work has included clinical services, education, training, research, and community-based mental health initiatives with individuals and communities across diverse cultural contexts.
About the Myanmar Clinical Psychology Consortium (MCPC)
Founded in Yangon in August 2017, the Myanmar Clinical Psychology Consortium (MCPC) was established to help address gaps in mental health education and to build a sustainable, pay-it-forward learning community. Supported by volunteer professionals and an international network of experts, MCPC provides education, training, supervision, and community-based research opportunities in clinical and counseling psychology.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Agga Educational Support Group, UK and Nang Phyu Education Support Group, NY, whose contributions helped make the TEA program possible.
