The news of fresh cancer lesions on Kristy Robinson’s lung left her feeling hopeless, with no desire to continue her three-year fight against the disease, but she found hope in art therapy. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
The mechanical engineer had never been particularly creative, but art therapy provided as part of Ms Robinson’s Cabrini palliative care, woke something inside her.
“I was ready to give up,” the 46-year-old said. “I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2022, but it had spread to my liver. So I had treatments and it looked like I was all clear but then they found a recurrence in my lung.
“When I had a chance to beat the cancer, my attitude was good and I fought it, but when it came back, I felt defeated and hopeless and wanted to give up. But then I was introduced to art therapy with Anette, and it’s really helped change my perspective.”
Cabrini’s palliative and supportive care service provides personalised, integrated care for people with terminal or life-limiting illnesses, across hospital, home and specialist inpatient settings.
The hospital introduces this care early within cancer and chronic disease treatment, saying the service helps improve quality of life and can even extend life expectancy.
Among the programs on offer by the service is art therapy. This is a psychotherapeutic modality – a type of counselling session – Cabrini art therapist Anette Kulesza explained. Studies indicate that patients who engage in art therapy report substantial improvements in mood and anxiety levels.
“It can help patients to express difficult emotions that they might be sitting with, especially at the end of life,” she said. “But it can also be used as a form of relaxation – a form of diversion and a way of connecting to aspects of the healthy self.”
Ms Robinson describes creating artwork as a type of mindfulness, which has helped considerably with her health anxiety.
She set herself an ambitious task to create 1000 origami cranes “because they symbolise peace and longevity,” she said.
“I was planning to stop at 1000, but the anxiety came back when I stopped doing them, so I’ve kept going, creating garlands for people and decorating my room and the nurses’ station on 4 South. I hope they bring peace and comfort to everyone who sees them.”
FULL STORY
Art therapy as palliative care: the power of paper and paint (Cabrini Health, via Melbourne Catholic)
