Mastering the art of therapy: Lisa Harker, chief executive, The Art Room

After five years leading the NSPCC's policy work, earlier this year Lisa Harker became chief executive of The Art Room, a charity set up in 2001 that provides art therapy to children aged five to 16 who are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.

What does the Art Room do?

We offer art as therapy to children and young people to raise their self-esteem, self-confidence and independence. Many of the children we see are disengaged from mainstream education, disruptive or withdrawn and all have been identified as needing special time away from their classrooms. The problems students might have include experiencing numerous educational interruptions or having specific learning difficulties or autism spectrum disorders. Some have recently arrived in this country, others are prime carers within their family or are looked-after children.