Pure Lotus Hospice: Art Therapy at Pure Lotus Hospice

Art session by patients and volunteers
Art and Craft was introduced as a complementary therapy for patients at the hospice in 2012.The program is run with the help of volunteers on Monday mornings . Patients who are happy to take part are helped by volunteers to create simple but fun things which can be completed within an hour at the most . At other times they are encouraged to color and draw and paint . Some will talk about their past life experiences and share old memories whilst painting and colouring .At times ,it helps them to reveal their hidden emotions in a safe way and can be a cathartic experience .Some patients use Art as a way to express their fear ,pain and sadness . Others use it to express their gratitude to carers and loved ones and as a way to say 'Thank You'. Art Therapy is a useful medium to use to help patients get in touch with their emotions and is widely used as a complemetary therapy in the West . Many universities offer courses for those who wish to work as professional Art therapists . In Malaysia however, we lack such professional therapists . We endeavour to fill the gap with volunteers who are skilled in Art and Craft and who are compassionate enough to give their time and effort to the hospice patients. At Pure Lotus Hospice we are fortunate to have a group of Korean volunteers who come in on a regular basis to make this program a successful and meaningful one .