Art therapy use expands to help with grief and loss

Sometimes when there are no words, art can help.

This month, Borgess Hospice will hold Camp Hug, an Expressive Arts Bereavement Camp to help family members learn to cope with the death of a loved one through creative outlets.

A registered art therapist, a music therapist and grief counselors, with support from Borgess Hospice RNs, other staff and volunteers will be camp facilitators.

"When a person is undergoing a traumatic event such as the loss of a loved one, she or he may have difficulty expressing the experience directly or effectively in words," says Kathleen Buday, a registered board-certified art therapist who serves as Expressive Arts Coordinator. "A creative process can be a non-threatening means to express oneself."

Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice has been expanding its grief support services for Kalamazoo and the surrounding communities by offering art therapy programs.

Since 2009, Borgess Hospice has offered Creative Crossings: An Art Therapy Bereavement Group for Children and Teens. Through art and other artistic means, such as movement and music, youth creatively express the feelings that occur when dealing with grief and loss.

Buday also provides art therapy to hospice patients and family members or both if they desire to use artistic media to explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflict and assist in communication.

No special artistic ability or experience is required. Suitable techniques and art experiences can be designed for virtually every level of physical capability.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Kathleen Buday, Expressive Arts Coordinator for Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice