About Art Therapy

Children are natural artists.  They dance like no one is looking, make their own music, color outside the lines and use every shade in a crayon box.  Art transcends illness and connects children and adults through creative expression.  When used as a healing tool, the arts can help patients cope with the distress that accompanies illness, injury and hospitalization.  

The Artists Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles provides opportunities for patients and families to express themselves through visual arts, music, poetry, dance and theater.  The program gives children an outlet to explore feelings of anxiety, frustration or grief as they face the challenges of treatment and recovery.  Expressive arts therapies are proven to have medical and therapeutic benefits.  They can help decrease blood pressure, regulate respiratory signs, promote development and motor skills, alleviate pain and improve overall compliance with treatment.

While expressive arts therapies make a profound impact on patient care, these services are not covered by insurance and are supported entirely through philanthropic giving.