ORIGINAL ARTICLE Child Art Psychotherapy in CAMHS in Ireland—a parent satisfaction study Ezgi Tanıl 1,2 & Aynur Coşkunlu 1,2 & Aisling Mulligan 2,3 Received: 29 September 2017 /Accepted: 3 March 2018 # Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland 2018 Abstract Objectives We aimed to evaluate parent satisfaction with the Vasarhelyi method of Child Art Psychotherapy offered at two Child and Adolescent Mental Health teams by postal survey using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, and by performing a quali- tative interview. Methods Parents of 29 children who attended Child Art Psychotherapy over the previous 4 years were invited to participate— they were sent the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire and invited to attend for an interview about Child Art Psychotherapy. The postal survey was followed up by a telephone call to complete missing surveys. The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire has a 4- point Likert scale with a minimum score of 8 and maximum score (highest satisfaction) of 32. Results Fourteen Client Satisfaction questionnaires were returned indicating a response rate of 48%. The mean age of the children who attended CAP was 10.84 years. The mean CSQ-8 score was 25.6 (95% CI 22.0–29.3) with a range of 8 to 32. Eighty-five percent of parents indicated that they were satisfied on all questions regarding the service of CAP their child received. One of 29 parents attended for interview and 4 themes were identified in the interview: (1) the importance of the child’ s opinion, (2) behavioural change occurred during and after CAP, (3) the parent would recommend CAP to others, and (4) parental expectations of therapy and level of engagement. Conclusion Parents are satisfied with the Vasarhelyi method of Child Art Psychotherapy. Keywords Art . CAMHS . Child . Psychotherapy . Satisfaction . Service user Introduction The Vasarhelyi method of Child Art Psychotherapy (CAP) was developed initially in the UK by Vera Vasarhelyi, who described the creation of the image as a method of exploring the unconscious [24]. The method draws on Psychoanalytic theory, in particular Objects Relations theory, and has been described in detail in previous studies [4, 15]. The unique features of this therapy are that (1) images are used for picto- rial communication as a non-verbal language, (2) the crea- tion of an BEmpty Space^ both physically and emotionally , (3) the time aspect of pictorial thinking, and (4) three semi- structured assessment sessions are offered, with the child giv- en an opportunity to commit to further sessions. In the assess- ment sessions, the child is asked to create an image of himself or herself, an image of his/her family, and an image of his or her earliest memory, which may trigger memories of early traumatic experiences. The image is created by the child inde- pendently of the therapist or of others and is then used as a method of communication between the child and therapist, just as Winnicott used the Squiggle Game as a method of communication [27]. CAP has been in use for approximately 15 years in CAMHS in North Dublin, delivered by trainees of the Mater/UCD Masters training programme. A review of the use of CAP has shown it has been used to treat depression, Ezgi Tanıl and Aynur Coşkunlu are joint first authors. * Aisling Mulligan aisling.mulligan@ucd.ie Ezgi Tanıl ezgitanil@hotmail.com Aynur Coşkunlu aynurcoskunlu@gmail.com 1 Department of Psychology, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey 2 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland 3 HSE Dublin North City and County Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Dublin 1, Ireland Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -) https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-018-1786-1