 Yesterday was our first arts-based workshop of the autumn season provided for a dynamic group of administrators, physicians, and clinicians at Elmhurst Hospital Center along with my esteemed colleague from the Whitney Museum of American Art. With an original screen print by abstract expressionist Helen Frankenthaler as our focal point, hospital employees embarked on a “close looking” exercise involving guided observation of the art work. This moment of mindfulness was followed by rich discussion around the materials used, background of the artist, and personal reflections about the piece.
Frankenthaler is quoted as saying, “There are no rules. Let the picture lead you where it must go.” Indeed, her intuitive, open approach to art-making provided a wonderful segue for the personal art-making experience to follow and inspired our use of fluid, wet media. Participants were invited to engage in an adapted open studio process approach to art therapy, including embodied breathing for grounding, free associative writing for creativity development, art-making with playful, non-traditional mixed media, personal self reflection, and group sharing for synthesis and community building. One participant shared how the liquid watercolor kept dancing around the page each time she shifted her position, resulting in imagery and a “final” product that was ever-changing. Although challenging to try to control the drops at first, she reflected on how this constant movement and evolution of her piece was actually a refreshing and exciting example of surrendering to not knowing what to expect as opposed to trying to control the outcome. It was a beautiful demonstration of art as therapy, requiring creative problem solving, frustration tolerance, self compassion, and reframing of perspective to come to this conclusion. These are certainly skills that can also be applied to daily life while managing stressors in a demanding hospital environment. We hope that the creative experience we provide and the artwork on display in the institution itself will serve as reminders of each individual’s own creative resilience. #artastherapy #artheals #caregiverburnout #healthehealer Post by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C Original photos courtesy of Elmhurst Hospital Center
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 Aside from back to school time for families and important holidays for many, September also marks NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) Awareness Month, established to acknowledge and educate the public around the unique challenges childbearing families face while navigating their baby’s time in and provide them with the support and resources they need. It also honors the professionals who work in these critical and demanding spaces.
The reason for admission and length of stay in a NICU varies widely, sometimes due medical complications after labor and delivery, recovery from surgery, or a need for monitoring concerns around pediatric digestive conditions or respiratory issues. Some birthing people have just experienced a traumatic birth when their babies are admitted to the NICU, adding yet another layer of vulnerability and stress to the typical challenges around establishing a milk supply for breastfeeding or creating a feeding routine with a newborn. Fear for the little one’s well-being, extreme helplessness around limited access to them, confusion around what one is “supposed” to be doing, anger toward the medical system, dashed hopes around having a “perfect” birth, and anxiety around what the future brings are common here, as well as deep concerns around bonding with the baby. Some medical settings, such as the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University, employ creative arts therapists to help ease this massive transition for both infants and families. NICU music therapy, for example, focuses on providing safe and effective evidence-based music interventions to promote neurodevelopmental stimulation, increase infant rest and regulation, and provide opportunities for caregiver bonding. Research has shown that creating and singing lullabies also promote overall family well-being by supporting maternal health, early child development, and the attachment between parent and child. #nicuawareness #perinatalmentalhealth #creativeartstherapy Post by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C Original photograph by Gabriel Tovar via Unsplash |
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