Art and mental health: using the creative process to cope and connect

The stigma around mental health issues often leaves the patients and families navigating them left feeling isolated and hopeless. Many struggle to feel connected to those around them, even their closest loved ones. Katherine Jordan found a way to break through that loneliness through a unique artwork project on our Community Based Acute Treatment (CBAT) unit.

Katherine (affectionately referred to as KJ) joined the Franciscan Children’s team as a Graduate Art Therapy Intern in the fall of 2017 and spent the next nine months working with our Outpatient Mental Health team and patients in our CBAT program. As part of her role, she facilitated art therapy groups and worked with individual patients to promote growth, healing, and self-discovery through creative expression.  KJ also worked with the Expressive Therapies team to assist in the conception and implementation of community art projects.

“I’m so grateful for my experience here,” says KJ about her time at Franciscan Children’s. “My internship really helped shape my career path and reaffirm my interest in mental health. I’ve been able to explore and test different concepts; what works and what doesn’t for our patients when it comes to using creative expression as a coping mechanism. Working with these kids and my colleagues has truly boosted my comfort level and confidence as a clinician.”

While her passion for art media dates back to her days as a crayon-loving toddler, KJ’s interest in mental health counseling came later.

“When I was younger, art was a source of both pride and stress for me,” says KJ. “I took private classes that focused on oil painting and, in the beginning, was preoccupied with perfection. Over the years, practice, failure, and success in my artwork helped me to overcome my inflexible creative tendencies and gain confidence as an artist and a person. Today, my creative process serves as a means to de-stress and practice self-care.”

While volunteering after completing her bachelor’s degree, KJ recognized the same tendency in children to turn to creative expression during times of crisis or struggle. Her experiences inspired her to pursue her masters of mental health counseling. Eventually, she was able to leverage both her creative passion and drive to support kids and families navigating mental health challenges through her internship at Franciscan Children’s.

Working with patients in our CBAT program, KJ was inspired to use her creative spark to transform a different kind of canvas: the walls of the unit itself.

“The walls of our hallways were freshly painted but they were blank,” says KJ. “I kept coming back to this idea of painting murals as a way to really brighten the space and make it truly kid-friendly. I knew it would also be a great opportunity to get the kids and staff involved in the process, too, as a community building exercise.”

While she never got the chance to tackle the murals during her internship, KJ saw an opportunity to stay involved afterward as a volunteer and truly leave her mark on a place that had come to mean so much to her.

The project quickly took on a life of its own as KJ’s colorful vision came to life. A mosaic “CBAT” covers one wall, and a deep sea scene comes to life on another.

“The mosaic mural gave our kids the opportunity to have their own piece of the puzzle,” says KJ. “It really brings out a sense of community and belonging. The activity of painting each piece also gave [the kids] a chance to have fun and practice mindfulness.”

While our patients may not have been as directly involved in the creation of the under-the-sea mural, they still benefit from its colorful scene. The piece serves as an “iSpy” game for kids needing a distraction from a challenging behavioral episode. In addition, both murals spark conversation between kids, staff, and parents which, in turn, helps them to build relationships and trust with one another – a critical piece of the treatment experience in the CBAT program.

“The murals have helped to make the unit feel much more welcoming and warm,” says Katherine May, CBAT Program Manager. “Children and families are in crisis when they come to us and we always want them to feel supported and taken care of.  KJ saw an opportunity to help with this and did a phenomenal job brightening up the unit!”

At Franciscan Children’s, our Expressive Therapies team integrates with multidisciplinary teams across our medical, mental health and education programs to help each child reach their fullest potential using visual art, music, psychodrama, and dance/movement. Thank you to KJ and the Expressive Therapies team for their commitment to connecting with our patients and families and using the creative arts as a way to brighten their environment and their lives.