Art Therapy for Young Patients and their Families at St. Mary's Hospital Paediatric Department
Art Therapy at St. Mary’s Hospital
From November 2019, we launch a programme of transformative art psychotherapy for young patients at St. Mary’s hospital paediatric department.
Every year, thousands of children arrive at St Mary’s hospital from the West London community and from across the UK to receive a wide range of specialist and general care.
The experience of illness and hospitalisation can be extremely stressful and can impact a child’s mental health and emotional development, as well as causing distress for the whole family. Art therapy provides essential therapeutic support to young patients, allowing them to express themselves through drawing, painting and sculpting with clay, helping to overcome emotional trauma and anxiety.
A trained and experienced art psychotherapist, fully funded by ArtSocial Foundation, works for a minimum of 2 days per week closely with hospital staff to incorporate art therapy into the hospital’s holistic support to young patients and their families during their personal journey. The sessions are a combination of bedside activities, one-to-one and group sessions, as well as family and sibling sessions and are facilitated by Imperial Health Charity as part of its arts engagement programme.
“At St. Mary’s I have witnessed Art Therapy become a great benefit for patients and their families. it creates a non-judgmental space, focusing on the process of discovery through artistic expression. Art Therapy in hospitals is a chance for families and patients to take a step back from their surroundings and encourage being in their present moment experiences, noticing the sensations they are experiencing, and communicating this through artistic expression” - states Jonny McCauley, schoolteacher.
Over the course of a year, the initiative is expected to support over 200 young patients up to the age of 18 who may be suffering as a result of a major trauma incident or long-term chronic health conditions.