Art Therapy

Art therapy uses fine art materials to help you express emotions, lower your stress and find strength.

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About

Art therapy uses many different kinds of art: painting, drawing, colouring, photography, sculpting and others. 

Art therapy can help with some of the physical symptoms of cancer. It has also been shown to improve the quality of life for people with cancer. Making art can give you a positive distraction and a way to express your emotions.

Who can access art therapy?

Art therapy is available for people with cancer and their family members. You can access art therapy from the time you are diagnosed with cancer until 18 months after your active treatment ends.

You may benefit from art therapy if you:

  • Are looking for a new way of expressing yourself.
  • Want to find meaning during a difficult time.
  • Want to connect with other people in the group.

People with cancer who have young children can also make individual art therapy appointments.

If you have kids between the ages of about 3 and 16, you want to join the Family Art Therapy program.

If you are between the ages of about 20 and 40, you may want to join the Young Adults Group.

How to sign up for an art therapy session

We offer many virtual art therapy groups, held on Zoom.

Click on the "Groups" tab above for information and how to register. 

You can also visit our Support Programs page.  

Groups

BC Cancer has several art therapy groups. Some groups are offered online over Zoom and some are offered in-person at BC Cancer - Vancouver. Making art with a group gives you the same benefits as a one-on-one session with an art therapist. In a group, you also get to connect with other people.

All groups are for people with cancer and their family members. You can access art therapy from the time you are diagnosed with cancer until 18 months after your active treatment ends.​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​You need to register for a group or session.  Some groups run each month. Other groups are only offered a few times a year.

Please see the Group Support Calendar for times and registration. Group descriptions below.

Group support calendar

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Art therapy workshops (in-person) -Vancouver

Art therapy workshops will be held at Vancouver Centre on most Wednesdays, from 10:00-12:00.  These workshops are an ideal way to discover your creativity and connect with others. We provide the materials and you do not need any experience to join.  Most workshops are currently facilitated by the student art therapist, with supervision​


Online Art Therapy Programs

Online art therapy groups are also available.  These are a rotating series of themed workshops, changing from season to season.  They are available to any patient in British Columbia.  Online art therapy groups are ideal for anyone who is unable to join a workshop in Vancouver.  They allow for an opportunity to connect with others and discover your creativity from the comfort of your own home. ​

Young Adults Group

A group for younger adults with cancer, who are about 20 to 40 years old. It meets the second Tuesday of the month on Zoom, 10:30am - 12:00pm.

This group connects members with others who are the same age. We focus on topics specific to young adults with cancer.  We do some creative journaling and art exercises together.



Family Art Therapy Program

Support is available for families who have a parent living with cancer.  Therapy is targeted to families with kids who are about 3 – 16 years old.


Art and Music Studio ​Group

This group generally meets once per month, online.  It is facilitated by the music therapist and art therapist, and includes gentle creative exercises for participants to try out. 

Sign up for the next Art and Music Studio Group session​.​​

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Knitting Circle at BC Cancer - Vancouver Library

Join our in-person knitting circle at the BC Cancer. All materials provided. No experience necessary. These groups are hosted at the BC Cancer Vancouver Centre Library, located ​​​at 675 West 10th Avenue, first floor of the BC Cancer Research Centre.​

Register for the Knitting Circle​


Resources
BC Cancer has several books available which have been designed with principles of art therapy:

Adult colouring books

Colouring can be very calming and relaxing.

Try the Hope colouring sheet or the Always Be Colouring book.

My Adventures with Fox and Owl: A Creative Journal for Kids with Cancer in the Family

This journal is for children aged 5-9.  The Fox and Owl character invite children to draw and write about themselves and their family. Other characters in the forest, lie Nurse Bunny, teach them about cancer.

Download sample pages from this journal (PDF).

Reaching Out to Your Children when Cancer Comes to Your Family: A Guide for Parents, by June Slakov
This is an informational book for parents (PDF) who are going through cancer treatments.  It includes resources for communicating with children of different ages about cancer, treatments, and coping with change as a family.

Scribble and Paste: A Creative Journal for if Cancer Comes to Your Family

This creative journal (PDF) is for children 10 years and older. It teaches children about cancer and ways of coping when cancer comes to their family.  This book can help children discover more about themselves and support them in a difficult time.

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