SVA’s MPS Art Therapy Department has been working with The Red Door Community (formerly Gilda’s Club NYC) for over 15 years. SVA provides student-led, group art therapy sessions to members of the community under the supervision of special projects coordinator Val Sereno, M.A., ATR-BC, LCAT. The Red Door’s cancer support program is free and available to anyone and everyone impacted by cancer.

This past week, Val and SVA students facilitated a group that allowed participants to practice mindfulness, creative expression, and reflect on the ups and downs of their experiences through meditation and movement experiences followed by artmaking and group processing. Members were prompted to use any materials to create imagery of mountains and valleys. The participants were encouraged to think about certain elements while they created their imagery such as: “What helps you climb those mountains?” “How do you take a moment to recoup in the valleys?” and “How do you celebrate your peaks?”

In art therapy, the use of metaphors can help create a safe, non-threatening environment that encourages reflection, engagement, and creativity (Moon, 2007). In our processing portion, one member shared her creation of two mountains; representing two different paths she could take. She utilized other symbols for obstacles to her path such as rocks, thick hedges, and a fallen tree. Contrastingly, there was a sun shining through the clouds to guide her despite the blockages on her journey. There were footprints further down the path, indicating her awareness that someone has been through this before her. Another member drew a camping site at the base of her mountain, representing the support she gets from her family who spend quality time with her.

Overall the group members seemed to enjoy working within the metaphors of valleys, mountains, and other elements that they used as symbols for hope, obstacles, and support. The group was brought to a close by having each member choose a movement and a sound to represent how they were feeling after the hour of art therapy.

Moon, B. L. (2007). The Role of Metaphor in Art Therapy: Theory, Method, and Experience. United States: Charles C. Thomas.