St. Mary’s Kids Celebrate Creative Arts Therapies Week

St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children is celebrating the healing power of art and music through Creative Arts Therapy Week.  The Arts for Healing Program uses creative arts to help patients reach their rehabilitation goals and improve their quality of life. Art therapy promotes physical and emotional wellness by reducing stress, alleviating pain, stimulating communication, and promoting physical rehabilitation and learning.

“We know that artistic expression helps improve outcomes in pediatric healthcare. When kids with medical complexities engage in art therapy, they are able to free themselves from the physical constraints they live with each day. This increases their confidence and self-esteem while helping them to develop new skills and approaches to seeing the world in a new way.” – Daria Swinton, licensed Art Therapist at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children.  St. Mary’s kids participated in interactive art and music activities throughout the week.