'Drawn to You' & the Power of Art in the Wish Discovery Phase: Exclusive Q&A with CHLA Art Therapist Nicole Albers

Can you tell us about your role as an Art Therapist? How do you work and interact with children at CHLA?

As an Art Therapist, I get the opportunity to meet with patients and families and provide them with a safe place to express their thoughts and feelings about their experiences inside and outside the hospital. Each patient has a medical care team, but I consider us to be their "emotional care team."

Art Therapy is child-directed, meaning the kids have complete power and control in the session. Often, in the hospital, kids don't have much say over what will happen and when (IVs, medications, doctor visits, dressing changes). But in their art therapy, they make all the decisions. I'll say, "Do you want to use colored pencils or markers? Big paper or little paper?" It may seem small, but all of these decisions add up to them feeling more empowered in the hospital space.

The artwork can look like creating a mini book to do feeling identification, a menu of coping skills they can use when they are overwhelmed, a collage to express self-identity, or a drawing to share those big feelings that have been coming up lately. There is no right way, or wrong way to make art. It is all about expression. We Art Therapists like to say, "It's about the process and not the product."

What role does art and drawing play in the wish discovery phase for Make-A-Wish kids?

By using drawing in the wish discovery phase, we can capture the child's enthusiasm, personality and desires simply through their imagery. It gives them a way to describe their most heartfelt wish, even when they don't have the words for it.

Some of my favorite days in the hospital are when kids draw what their "perfect day" at Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort would look like. Every detail is accounted for: what outfits and ears they 'd be wearing, what rides they want to go on and of course, that they must meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse!

From a child psychology perspective, how do art and drawing positively impact critically ill children?

Art provides a safe place to put your feelings. I like to say, some kids have "really big feelings!" and that is totally okay. I like to use a narrative therapy approach alongside Art Therapy. That way, we can build a metaphor and tell a story about the tough situations they're going through. In that story, the child can be the superhero, the princess, the warrior, or anything they want. They get to decide what the beginning, middle and end of that story looks like. In drawing and writing their story, they feel empowered!

From a child psychology perspective, it's not just arts and crafts. Engaging in intentional and therapeutic artmaking supports mood and emotional regulation, and decreases pain perception. It fosters a sense of self, offering opportunities for advocacy and expression of thoughts and feelings. For critically ill children, it gives them a way to explore all that they are observing, feeling and experiencing.

How does drawing help kids express feelings or ideas they might not have words for yet?

Some kids are pre-verbal and don't have the words to describe what they are going through, especially our littles. The good thing is that art and play are natural languages for children. There are also other kids with limited language expression, like our kids with cognitive or developmental delays. It's important to remember that their thoughts, feelings, wants, needs and expression are just as important as a verbose child.

Offering a child a piece of paper to draw can be helpful. Families should also encourage drawing by example. There is so much value in sitting at the table and drawing together. Art is a great way for families to connect and build bonds with their children.

Have you worked with a child who has connected with a Disney character through art?

One of my fondest moments was working with a child who was undergoing chemo treatments for cancer. Despite losing her own hair, she was obsessed with Princess Rapunzel. She loved her luxurious hair and would draw the long locks across every page. But more importantly, we would talk about the values and character traits Rapunzel has. Being able to reflect those values and identify them in herself was so meaningful. She recognized that both she and Rapunzel were strong, resilient, sassy and silly!

Disney also brought these amazing, interactive murals to CHLA, brightening up spaces all over the hospital and bringing joy to the patients here.