The Creative Arts Therapies team helps patients and families support their mind, body and emotions using creative methods. The team includes Art Therapists and Music Therapists.

Key Benefits

Art and music therapy allow children to express feelings without words. Therapists work with patients, siblings and caregivers to:

• Help express difficult feelings
• Increase body awareness
• Manage symptoms without medicine
• Provide support during grief

To find out if Art Therapy or Music Therapy is available on your child’s unit, please ask your care team.

Art therapy is a method that uses the creative process of making art to help people improve their mental and emotional well-being. It combines making art with counseling, guided by a trained Art Therapist.

How It Helps

The goal is to help you feel better and understand yourself more clearly. Art therapy can:

• Improve focus and physical skills (like coordination)
• Boost self-confidence and self-awareness
• Reduce stress, anxiety and sadness
• Help you express feelings without having to use words
• Assist with coping skills and solving personal conflicts

You don't need any art experience to benefit from it.

Who Art Therapists Work With

Art therapists support patients and families dealing with various challenges, including:

• Coping with serious illness or injury
• Managing symptoms (sometimes instead of medicine)
• Supporting families through difficult times

Music therapy is a health service where a trained therapist uses music to help people with their physical, emotional and thinking needs. It's a proven way to feel better and reach health goals.

Benefits of Music

Music therapy can help you:

• Move your body better and speed up physical healing
• Express feelings when words are hard
• Feel calmer and reduce anxiety, depression and stress
• Manage pain without relying on medicine

Who is it For?

• Ages: From preterm infants to adults
• When: Offered Monday through Friday
• Where: Therapists help people staying in Milwaukee and Fox Valley Hospital.

You can help our Creative Arts Therapies by donating online. Choose “Other” for the gift type and write “Creative Arts Therapies.”

Check out our wish list for supplies the program needs.

Children's Wisconsin offers pre-professional internships in Art Therapy and Music Therapy.

Art Therapy Internship

• When: Fall and/or Spring semester internships available each year.
• Time: Approximately 20 hours/week on-site.
• Deadline: Dependent upon next available internship. See the application for more details.
• Requirement: Students must be enrolled in an accredited art therapy program. An affiliation agreement must exist between your university and Children's Wisconsin before you apply.
• Experience: Work as a medical art therapist with children/teens in areas like Intensive Care, Oncology and Mental Health.

Learn More and Apply

Music Therapy Internship

• When: Six month year duration, starting every September (one intern accepted annually).
• Time: 40 hours/week (full-time).
• Deadline: December 1st (of the year prior to the September start).
• Requirement: Students must be enrolled in an accredited music therapy program. An affiliation agreement must exist between your university and Children's Wisconsin before you apply.
• Experience: Leading individual and group sessions with infants, children, teens and caregivers and collaborating with the full hospital treatment team.

Learn More and Apply

Questions?

• Email: creativeartstherapies@childrenswi.org