Art therapy
Relieving Symptoms in Cancer: Innovative Use of Art Therapy
According to this study:
Art therapy is one of the complementary therapies being used to relieve cancer symptoms. Art therapy is a clinical intervention based on the belief that the creative process involved in the making of art is healing and life enhancing. It is used to help patients or their families increase awareness of self, cope with symptoms, and adapt to stressful and traumatic experiences. The objectives of art therapy are to use the creative process to allow awareness and expression of an individual’s deepest emotions. For people with cancer, these emotions may be about the illness, hospitalization, relationships, or other concerns. The meaning and the power of these emotions often are not easily articulated using verbal communication. It is the art itself that provides a vehicle for expression, aided by the actual physical movement of artistic materials. Art therapy may be preferential to some cancer patients who may be uncomfortable with conventional psychotherapy or those who find verbal expression difficult.
There is a growing body of literature demonstrating that art therapy can be effective in ameliorating symptoms associated with cancer both in children and adults. Art that Heals was one of the earliest and most comprehensive programs that demonstrated how art therapy could be useful in an oncology setting by helping patients reinforce positive coping behavior and increasing their self-esteem and their sense of control. Since then similar benefits have been demonstrated by other programs.
Art Therapy
Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Creative expression can often help people with cancer as well as their caregivers, families, and friends cope with the treatment and recovery process. Art therapy — the integration of artistic expression into the healing process — can be emotionally restorative and can serve as an outlet for expressing your feelings about illness, treatment, and life itself…
…The process of seeing and exploring the images you create through art therapy can distract you from health issues as well as help you:
- become more self-aware
- express fears, anxieties, and other emotions that may be difficult to verbalize
- communicate and interact more effectively with others
- build self-esteem
- lessen stress
- improve quality of life
- find comfort, freedom, and hope
Published Clinical Trials / Studies / Reviews
Art therapy for women with breast cancer: The therapeutic consequences of boundary strengthening
Art Therapy Can Reduce Pain And Anxiety In Cancer Patients
Relieving symptoms in cancer: innovative use of art therapy.
Art therapy improved depression and influenced fatigue levels in cancer patients on chemotherapy.
Where can I get this treatment and more information?
Art therapy is widely available.
Updated 2024