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Creativity can be a way to negotiate the complex, challenging range of emotions felt when we lose a loved one.
This is the basis for a free arts therapy course that is being held for children and young adults (aged 6-17 years) at Hibiscus Hospice in Red Beach.
Art has been used as a form of therapy since the 1940s but it’s still relatively new to New Zealand. It’s the first time hospice has offered an arts therapy course that is open to the general public – beyond patients’ families and people in hospice’s care.
Harbour Hospice’s clinical education team leader Jo Harris is a trained arts therapist, and she and counsellor Susan Crozier are running the free courses for children who are managing loss or bereavement. The young people who take part may also be in a situation where they have a loved one with a terminal illness.
Jo says when children and young people struggle to express how they feel in words, this type of therapy comes into its own. It is designed to provide a safe space where people can explore feelings and make sense of what’s happening around them and where they fit in.
“It’s natural for children to express themselves creatively, and the beauty of arts therapy is that it starts at that point, then takes it one step further by having an art therapist help the child explore the meaning behind their creation,” she says.
The course, called It’s Not Just Me will include a range of creative options, including drawing, painting, writing or music.
“They can share with the rest of the group, but if they choose not to, that’s okay too. It can be a great way to meet others who might be going through similar experiences and help kids to realise they’re not alone. Their caregivers do not need to attend with them.”
It’s Not Just Me is on September 4 and October 23 at Hibiscus House, 2a John Dee Cres, Red Beach, from 2pm-4pm. Participants can attend both, or just one session. Info and registration: www.harbourhospice.org.nz/programmes-for-carers or call Jo, 021 575 491.
