A Fayetteville art therapy support group for children with chronic illnesses is now enrolling. Art Works, a program offered by The Art Experience, Inc, helps children ages 7 through 12 deal with the psychological, emotional, and social effects of their illnesses. The goals of the free support group, underwritten by a grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkoma, are to help children get along better at home and school and ease their levels of stress and anxiety. Children will use drawing, painting, collage, modeling materials, and other art techniques. Leading the group is Elise Lunsford, who has a master’s degree and is a licensed associate counselor and registered art therapist. She works at the Ozark Guidance Center. “Suffering from chronic medical illnesses can cause a variety of psychological issues for children, including, for example, mood changes, low self-esteem, body image issues, and even traumatic stress,” Lunsford said. “Personally, I have had chronic illness my entire life, and have experienced the benefits and healing power of using art to address the psychological issues surrounding medical illness. “This group will use a strength-based and trauma-informed art therapy approach to create a safe space for children to use in a therapeutic setting. They will explore their strengths, make choices, gain control, celebrate accomplishments, as well as address any issues surrounding their medical illnesses that may arise.” Stephanie Medford, executive director of Ronald McDonald Charities of Arkoma, said Art Experience fills a gap in services to children in Northwest Arkansas. “Many children experience chronic illnesses in our community and there are wonderful resources to improve their physical ailments,” Medford said. “However, there are not many resources to help these children deal with the emotional and mental disruption that is part of coping with illness. Through the Art Works program, children will have the opportunity to heal mentally and emotionally to achieve overall health.” The support group is for children with cancer or in remission from cancer, heart disease, asthma, juvenile diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and fibromyalgia, among other illnesses. The group is not tailored for children whose primary diagnosis is autism or other pervasive developmental disorders. Art Experience, founded in 1992, is the only arts organization in Fayetteville offering free art therapy services to the community at-large. It is a center for healing and growth through the expressive arts and creative play. Art Experience has provided free art therapy to veterans, hospice grief support groups, at-risk youth, for drug abuse prevention, and professional development. Art Experience is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information e-mail: theartexperienceinc@gmail or call 479-442-0557. The Art Experience, of Fayetteville, recently received a $1,500 grant from Ronald McDonald Charities of Arkoma to support the Art Works support group. Shown above, from left, are: Stephanie Medford, RMHC executive director; Jo Ann Kaminsky, Art Experience board president; Richard DelSoto, Art Experience board member; Susan Pruitt, RMHC board member; Camille Davie, RMHC administrative assistant; and Art Experience executive director, Rachael Martin.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 19:25:37 +0000
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