The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County has given a $15,000 grant to Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation to support group art therapy sessions for patients at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
The grant will fund therapeutic art sessions for patients in the Adult Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit, as well as cancer patients and their families at the Cape Fear Valley Cancer Center.
“Art therapy on the adult psychiatric unit provides patients a chance to express emotions that may be difficult to verbalize through a creative outlet,” said Justin Vann, recreational therapist at Cape Fear Valley Health. “Engaging in art in a nonjudgmental space allows patients to visualize how they feel without worrying about how realistic or how good their picture looks. When expectations are removed, patients truly experience the benefits of being creative and being their authentic selves.”
Sabrina Brooks, vice president of Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation, said the grant helps sustain a program that has demonstrated measurable benefits for patients coping with serious illness and mental health challenges…