Art therapy is for patients and families to support and improve psychological, developmental, physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual well-being.
“Art making has also always been my own means of coping and self-expression. Using art, I am gifted with an opportunity to teach patients new skills, gain insights about themselves they may not have previously known or even forgot about, and cope with illnesses,” says Art Therapist Alexis Lombardo, MA, ATR-BC.
Penn State College of Medicine’s Center Stage Arts in Health brought art therapy services to patients and families at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in 2018. The profession of art therapy incorporates both the purposeful use of art materials and reflection on the creative process within a therapeutic relationship to promote self-expression of those who are experiencing illness or challenges in their lives.
“I became an art therapist for a few reasons. First, I love both art and psychology and working with kids. Art therapy seemed like a great job to mix all of these interests together. Second, I first heard of the therapeutic aspects of art making when a former classmate was diagnosed with cancer,” says Alexis. Art therapists receive professional training in the arts, psychological theory, human development, multicultural factors, and clinical practices in order to use art to treat individuals of all ages, as well as groups, families, and larger communities.
“Every day is something new, and you never quite know what will come of any given day. The work can be both very challenging and very rewarding at the same time. I think the best part of my workday is seeing little victories occur when working with patients. Sometimes, sessions may only last 15 minutes because that is all a patient can tolerate due to their treatments,” says Alexis.
Center Stage Director Claire de Boer says, “Art therapy is relevant for people of all artistic abilities and confidence. It focuses on the artmaking process, rather than the product, to achieve desired outcomes. Art therapy works to engage the mind and body in order to support coping with hospital experiences, provide a safe outlet for emotional expression, promote feelings of control, and instill resiliency and relaxation.”
In 2021, Center Stage Arts in Health added another art therapist to the staff. Betsy Fallat provides services to patients in the Children’s Hospital as well as the Cancer Institute.
We are always educating and spreading the word about what we do in Arts in Health,” says Claire. “In addition to that, we would also like there to be opportunity for continued research regarding the use of art therapy in a medical setting and sharing this with other art therapists nationally.”
Alexis says the best part of her day is just a simple smile from a patient that tells her she can make a difference in their day. “It’s very rewarding to be a part of that. When you look over it after an extended length of time, you can piece together a lot of progress. Progress happens in small steps here, but in the long run, they are big achievements. It is really great when you can work with children and see ways in which you have supported their development despite milestones they may miss out on due to hospital treatments.”
Art therapy allows patients to convey painful, confusing, and contradictory experiences of illness that are hard to communicate with words alone. While its central purpose is making meaning of difficult experiences of challenges in one’s life, art therapy can also support normal developmental milestones and any physical needs or limitations of the patient.
Goals of Art Therapy in a Hospital
- Expression and Communication
- Providing a Sense of Control
- Making meaning from experiences
- Legacy work
- Instilling hope and positivity for the future
- Normalizing hospital experiences
- Managing pain
- Address issues related to identity
- Supporting family centered care
- Promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety
Art Therapy Facts
- Art therapy is not art class
- Art therapy is not only for children
- Art is not always made in session
- Normalizing hospital experiences
- Managing pain
- Address issues related to identity
- Supporting family centered care
- Promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety
Who is Appropriate?
- Difficulties adjusting to diagnosis and/or hospital setting
- Fear/anxiety related to the environment and or procedures
- Patients experiencing pain
- Behavioral and emotional difficulties
- Altered sense of self