128 - The Michigan Daily - WU44it CU. - Thursday, April 11, 1996
CREATING ART FROM THE HEART
GRIEVING CHILDREN FIND COMFORT AND SUPPORT THROUGH ART THERAPY
"We do art!" says 6-year-old Jonathan Sibley as he cuts strips up of ribbon, paper and fabric. The Art from the Heart program gives children the freedom to work in a
variety of media as painting, drawing and sculpting supplies fill two supply tables at the beginning of each session and then migrate to the busy work tables.
.AWhen a loved one is terminally ill, a child's questions are
frequently unanswered. Art therapist Carol
Coder said, "Adults tend to rush in and make things better,
kids need to be supported." Care-ousel, Arbor Hospice's care program
for children, offers several support services for children and their
families, including dynamic programs involving art therapy.
Individual and group sessions encourage children to express their
questions and anxieties by creating artwork. Group bereavement
sessions meet weekly and bi-weekly, creating a sense of stability for
children, at a time when their world may appear unstable. Coder
stresses the significance of group sessions. "It's very important that a
kid sees that their not the only one with a loss." By communicating
through art participants learn and grow as they grieve.
I
Art therapist Carol Coder and 12-year-old Cameron Crawford discusses structural issues
associated with his sculpture during an individual anticipatory grief session.
While creating an emotional landscape of their journeys through bereavement, 9-year-old
Brandon Kruger takes a break to see what his twin sister Jennifer is drawing, projects involving
the entire group facilitate healing and support through discussion and interpretation of art
generated during the session.
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