Healing Power of Art and Palliative Care

Healing Through Art: Train the Trainer

Art is experiential – it is a “doing process.” It is also very personal. Creating art is a journey of personal expression and self-awareness. Using art to express what is inside of ourselves is a powerful means of easing pain, both physical and psychic, and of better tapping into the power of self-awareness to heal.

What before seemed unbearable, can be reborn through art into something bearable. Darley & Heath, 2008

As recognition has grown for the power of self-expression to aid in the healing journey, the Institute has created a fully online, instructor-led course to provide individuals with the skills needed to help others use the power of art in their own healing journey.

Healing Through Art provides participants with an understanding of why visual arts are so powerful in healing, and how to facilitate others in exploring, through their own art and self-interpretation, that which can strengthen and speed healing, and that which may stand in the way. Not art therapy training, this course is designed to help participants create a safe and open framework for others to express themselves … no interpretation by others needed or allowed!

A professional and personal learning experience, made more powerful by the instructor sharing her art. I am so grateful for the opportunity. Thank you very much.

“It really opened up and healed the idea that art can be a failure.”
Heather Baggett

• Video Transcript

  So tell me, what’s your name, and what class did you just take?

  My name’s Heather Baggett, and I just took the Healing Through Arts class on the online course.

  Show me some of your work.

  Look at this. Well, this is one of the
  ones that I did for the class.

  Yeah? So you really found this to be a healing experience, and you were doing this so you could teach others? Or what did you do it for?

  Yes. I am a chaplain at a commune — continuing care retirement community, and I thought that it would be a great way to bring another aspect of spirituality to my residents. And one of the things — I just sort of asked the residents. You know, I’m taking a class. I need some volunteers. Can you just help me out, because, you know, you like me, and whatever? And so I got — you know, I have four people on a waiting list to do another one, because so many people were excited about the idea. And there were six people who came, and all of them said they would do it again, if I offered it again. So that was really exciting, and they really enjoyed looking at art in a new way. Not thinking about, well, I’m going to paint a dog, or I’m going to paint a landscape, but really thinking about the process, as opposed to the product that you’re making. And they really got into it.

  If somebody’s thinking about taking our Healing Through Art course, what would you say to them?

  I would say go for it. It was a lot of fun for me, because I got to sort of explore myself, and learn a few things about how I do art that might have been a bit of a sticking point for me. And I learned how much I value control, and how it was very freeing to sort of not be in full control of the final product, but really engage in the process of making, and creating, and learning without worrying about what was going to come out at the end.

  So was it healing?

  It was, I think.

  How would — how did it heal?

  It removed some barriers I had for my creative process. Because before, if I would try to make something, and it didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted it to turn out, I would think it was a failure. And so it really opened up and healed the idea that art can be a failure.

  And so, now, do you feel that you know better how to train somebody on healing?

  I think so, yeah.

  Ooh, look at that.

  This was the hardest project for me the whole class.

  Why? What was so hard about that?

  I had to let go of control. You just close your eyes and scribble for 30 seconds, and you don’t get to have any control over what it makes. And then you have to identify something from it, and make something beautiful out of the thing that you had no control over.

  How cool is that?

  This was another one that I made.

  And are you, like, a professional artist?

  Not at all.

  You haven’t done this before at all?

  I mean, I — hobby. Yeah. But not professionally, no.

  Did you find new parts of you creatively that showed up?

  Yeah. I think it was — in the past, I have done a lot of coloring and things that I was in the mood for. And this class really had assignments, where it forced you to step out of your comfort zone and that box you would normally create in, and what you’re in the mood for, and allowed you to just really explore new things.

  So tell me about this one.

  This one was an assignment about the parable of The Golden Buddha, and in the parable of The Golden Buddha, there are monks that created this beautiful Golden Buddha, and then somebody — an invading army was coming in, so they covered it in clay. And the invading army ignored the value of it, and years and years — like, hundreds of years later, they came in and accidentally broke it, and realized it was gold in the middle. And the assignment was to create something that displayed your golden inner self, but I really — from the parable, I got that even the — it wasn’t important that it was gold. It was important that it was Buddha. So the clay was the beautiful part. So I — instead of drawing my golden self, I drew my clay self. Because —

  That is just gorgeous.

  So I sort of took the assignment and twisted it a little bit.

This course is ideal for:

• Healthcare professionals and volunteers including nurses, social workers, therapists, counselors, chaplains, and volunteer coordinators
• Community workers or leaders, individuals in faith ministries and groups/organizations
• Others wishing to facilitate art healing activities

Click HERE to Join the Interest List and get the Brochure.

In this course, participants will first be led through their own art healing experience, then will gain tools for working with others on their journey.

Fully online and instructor-led, you will participate in this course with a small group of colleagues over 6-weeks. In addition to providing information including tools, readings, video clips, and Internet links, this training program will lead you through a number of experiential activities that will give you a better understanding of how the healing process through art can be facilitated by the freedom of art. You will also create and facilitate an art experience for an individual or small group.

Upon completion of this course students should be able to:

• Discuss what to expect from the “Healing Through Art: Train the Trainer”
• Discuss and write about their own thoughts and feelings about the creative process, and about artists
• Describe what is meant by the terms “healing arts”
• Explain the basic constructs that form the foundation for healing through art
• Explain how and why art heals

This course was very informative and inspirational! I made such meaningful connections with everyone involved. I wish it did not have to end. Healing arts is a gift that I cannot wait to share with my community. Not only has this course helped me with my research, it has assisted me in my personal life as well. Thank you!

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Fast Facts

Begins:	September 19, 2018
Is taught:	Completely online, available 24/7
Offers:	24 Continuing Education Hours
Costs:	$299
Requires:	Computing skills sufficient to complete graduate work, access to a computer with an Internet connection, ability to upload photos
Is ideal for:	Healthcare professionals and volunteers including nurses, social workers, therapists, counselors, chaplains, and volunteer coordinators, community workers or leaders, individuals in faith ministries and group organizations or others wishing to facilitate art healing activities
Provides:	The framework and tools necessary to start utilizing this effective, evidence-based process in facilitating events where participants can experiment with using art to aid in healing
Detailed FAQ:	Click HERE.
Cancellation Policy:	Refunds will only be considered for cancellations when requested in writing at least five (5) business days prior to the start date of the course. If approved, there will be a $35 administrative fee charged to process the refund. Click here to send us an email.

Course Information

Course Overview

This six week course will take you through topics to equip you to conduct and facilitate a Healing through Art program.

Topics include:

• An Overview of Art and Healing
• A History and Background of Healing Arts
• The Client-Centered Approach
• How to Structure Healing Arts Sessions
• Addressing Client Concerns to Start the Work and Build Rapport
• Activities for Conducting a Healing Through Art Workshop/Session Using Specific Media and Methods
• Communication to Promote Insight and Healing  
• The Value of Group Work and Group Communication Skills
• Dealing With Difficult Issues That May Arise
• Completion of a Design-Your-Own Visual Arts Activity

My favorite part of the workshop was the individual art creations and self-evaluations. I got to examine my thoughts through a medium that was new to me. Also viewing and listening to other’s interpretations of their projects.

Materials student will be required to provide for themselves:

• Art journal: This should be a large notebook that has unlined paper in it
• Paper 14X17 (heavy drawing paper or water color paper)
• Set of watercolors & paintbrushes
• One of the following: a set of pastels or colored markers

Course Information