Healing the heart and mind through art

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A side-by-side of Luis “Manny” Perez, recreational therapist, and a portrait created of him by one of his patients.

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What do you do when your emotions and thoughts are bottled up and you want to get them out? For some, the answer is to release them through art. Art therapy is a staple across many mental health practices. At Sharp Grossmont Hospital for Behavioral Health, the Creative Expression Program helps patients experiencing mental illness.

“Many of our patients are going through extremely difficult situations and emotions,” says Alyssa Dorn, a recreational therapist with Sharp Grossmont Hospital for Behavioral Health. “Offering patients a creative way to express themselves through art allows them to identify and experience the activity as a positive outlet and a way to express emotions and themselves.”

Dorn says that some patients are unaware of the various healthy coping skills that can be used to navigate life’s difficulties. The patients may use unhealthy coping mechanisms to get through difficult situations and do whatever feels good in the moment.

“Most times, no one teaches us how to cope with life's difficulties,” Dorn says. “Our job is to provide healthy coping experiences — like art — that patients can take into their future.”

Creating the space

Patients staying at Sharp Grossmont Hospital for Behavioral Health are invited to attend daily Creative Expression art group sessions. Groups usually consist of two to 10 people, and sessions last about 45 minutes.

Depending on the patients’ levels of functioning — their ability to focus, manage art materials and tolerate activity — the recreational therapists who lead the sessions determine the type of art activity that would be best for the group. By assessing the patients’ levels of functioning, the therapists can determine the number of supplies to incorporate.

The recreational therapists also try and meet the group’s goals when deciding on what type of art activity to do. For instance, if the goal is relaxation, expression and stress management, art involving water coloring, mandalas or painting is ideal. If the goal is to develop frustration tolerance and perseverance, a medium emphasizing concentration on details, such as a step-by-step drawing guide with a pencil, would be used.

Each art activity may also have a theme, such as hope, awareness, letting go or acceptance. If the group agrees, music is played to enhance the group’s energy.

Growing through art

Luis "Manny" Perez, a recreational therapist with Sharp Grossmont Hospital for Behavioral Health, says that the Creative Expression sessions can inspire people to become more aware of themselves or gain a new perspective. He recalls a time when he inspired a piece of art.

“A patient had done a caricature portrait of me as a Disney character,” recalls Perez. “The patient-artist enjoyed connecting with her peers and used her talents to uplift those around her while coping with her own adversities.”

The portrait is now proudly displayed on Perez’s refrigerator.

Along with lifting spirits, Dorn adds that the art therapy sessions focus on:

• Increasing concentration or cognitive skills

• Self-expression (expression of feelings, thoughts and emotions)

• Increasing self-esteem and self-confidence

• Reducing stress and anxiety

• Increasing knowledge of healthy coping skills

• Increasing creativity

• Increasing a sense of mindfulness and presence

“I remind patients that art is not about perfection,” Dorn says. “Rather, it’s about experiencing creativity and accepting the ‘imperfections’ as you go with the flow.”

Dorn counsels that accepting imperfections can also be applied to everyday activities and experiences because we are all imperfect human beings.

“We all struggle with perfectionism or being too hard on ourselves,” she says. “Accepting the imperfections in art and in life can lead to more acceptance and self-compassion.”

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