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Patients & VisitorsMeet Your Care Team Art Therapists
Art is a natural language for children. It helps them make sense of and express their thoughts and feelings. Art therapists are clinically trained professionals who use a variety of art materials at the bedside or in a group setting to help improve the physical and emotional well-being of patients and families.
Many of our patients struggle with their diagnosis, hospitalization and the many treatments they must endure, and it is often hard to talk about their experiences and feelings. Art therapy can take on many forms and has a benefit for patients who do not want to talk but rather respond to engaging in communicating through a quiet creative outlet. Art therapists can also use the final art image and art making process as way to help bring one’s experiences into a verbal language in a safe, supportive environment.
Though there can be an educational component, the goal of art therapy isn’t to replicate an art class in school; it is a way to help children communicate and express how they are feeling about their treatment and diagnosis. Engaging in the creative process changes the way our patients manage their stress, pain and anxiety. Our art therapists work with patients during all stages of their treatment but frequently meet patients early on to develop a relationship, help patients feel more comfortable in the hospital environment
Our art therapists are clinically trained to use the creative process of self-expression to help kids:
Each art project is guided by the patient’s lead, though our art therapist may choose to use certain materials to help young children become familiar with the items that doctors and nurses will be using, such as gauze, foam mouth pieces and syringes. Our art therapists work with patients of all ages including teenage and young adult patients, offering artist-quality materials to create their work.
To support art therapy at Lurie Children’s, please check out our Amazon Wishlist.
Willow Messier, MAAT, ATR-BC, ATCS, CCLS, is a Registered Board Certified Art Therapist, Art Therapy Certified Supervisor, and Certified Child Life Specialist. Since 2007 she has been with Lurie Children’s providing medical art therapy services to hematology/oncology patients at the bedside, outpatient clinics and to patients followed by the palliative care team. She developed and facilitates the medical art therapy internship program and supervises medical art therapy interns from The Adler School of Professional Psychology and The School of the Art Institute.
Willow received her Masters Degree in Art Therapy from New York University in 2004 and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in from Hampshire College, in Massachusetts in 1997. She previously developed and grew the art therapy program at Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai in New York City on the upper East Side and provided art therapy, child life, as well as developing and hosting closed circuit TV programming for pediatric patients and their families. In addition to being an art therapist, Willow loves to make large paintings on canvas as well as creative projects in the kitchen.
Giuseppina Impellizzeri, MA, LCPC, ATR-BC, is a Registered Board Certified Art Therapist and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She provides art therapy services on our acute inpatient and intensive care units and to referred palliative care patients. Giuseppina also coordinates the social justice practicum placement with Adler School of Professional Psychology.
Giuseppina received her Masters in Counseling Psychology: Art Therapy from Adler School of Professional Psychology here in Chicago and after graduation, developed the medical art therapy program at Bronson Children’s Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Additionally, Giuseppina has experience providing art therapy and counseling services in community mental health, inpatient psychiatry, and private practice settings. Giuseppina has a background in printmaking and creates mixed media artwork in her spare time.
Our Art Therapists are currently able to provide art therapy services, by referral, to our acute Inpatient units, intensive care units, and outpatient hematology/oncology.
Ask any member of your care team for more information on art therapy referrals or contact our Art Therapists at arttherapy@luriechildrens.org.
Each year, starting in the fall, we offer art therapy internship for one to two students currently enrolled in a local, graduate level art therapy program.
Willow Messier
Giuseppina Impellizzeri