Danville teenager publishes art therapy book for mental health

Eme Williams is not only aware of the mental health issues faced by teenagers, but also skillfully combats the lack of available resources that goes beyond her age.

The 15-year-old has published a helpful book called “The Art of Mindfulness: Creative Art Therapy Practices for Teens’ Mental and Emotional Well-Being,” which was launched this spring during a community event in her hometown of Danville.

Williams said she wanted to provide an artistic outlet for teenagers to address their individual issues in a way that was true and authentic to herself and inspired by her own journey through mental health difficulties.

“I chose art as a form of therapy because I have used art as an outlet for most of my life to overcome anxiety and stress,” Williams told DanvilleSanRamon.com. “The positive impact art has had on my life inspired me to include it in my art therapy book for teens.”

Williams’ book launch took place at the Discovery Counseling Center of the San Ramon Valley’s information booth in downtown Danville during the Devil Mountain Run on May 19.

“In addition, based on the expertise of Discovery Counseling Center’s physicians, art is a wonderful alternative to verbal therapy for patients who prefer to express their feelings nonverbally,” she said.

In a statement announcing the release of her book, Williams also highlighted the connection to her Girl Scout program.

“The publication coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month and is an important part of their Girl Scout Gold Award project. Printed copies will be donated to the center to support its mission,” the statement said.

Although Williams has accomplished a lot with her book, including the opportunity to collaborate with organizations she supports, she said the most beautiful gift of all has been the response she has received from local communities.

“When I released my book in May, I was pleasantly surprised by the response from the community. I presented my project and the book at the Discovery Counseling Center board meeting, the Contra Costa Mental Health Commission meeting and the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors meeting,” she said.

“Many members of the Mental Health Commission are mental health advocates and representatives of various non-profit groups. These representatives are interested in the book on art therapy and have invited me to share the importance and value of art therapy with the groups of children they work with,” Williams added.

Williams also shared that at the book launch, several community members supported her efforts to advocate for art therapy by purchasing the book or asking how they could donate to continue supporting teen mental health.

“I was overwhelmed by the amount of support I received and learned how many people are committed to providing teen mental health resources,” Williams said.