CELEBRATING 25 YEARS WITH

NATASHA WESTRICH WOOD, ART THERAPIST

One of Friends’ longest contracted service providers is celebrating 25 years of service as Art Therapist. Friends feels honored to commemorate such a significant accomplishment for her this year.

She was one of the first art therapists in the region committed to practice in a medical setting, and feels extremely pleased with how far the expressive therapies have come.

After finding her mission as Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s first art therapist intern and finding her passion in helping the cancer population, she found Friends in the phone book and inquired about whether Friends was interested in offering art therapy to patients. She soon after became contracted by Friends to serve pediatric cancer patients at Mercy Clinic Children’s Cancer and Hematology—Cardinals Kids Cancer Center and The Costas

Center at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.

“I still feel that same joy and excitement to go to work. Everybody I work with, we all have that same drive and passion.”

She feels the most effective when she can be that neutral person in a kid’s life who they can go to with their feelings. Giving them a neutral person to talk to allows them to express themselves freely, without the worry of affecting parents or caregivers.

More and more people are turning to art as a means of expression, as they become aware of its special capacity for emotion and conveying feelings. Tasha highlights the unique ability of art to connect everyone on a primal level; it is something we can all engage in regardless of faith, culture, or other social factors that exist.

“Art is the universal language. It has this power of reaching deeper levels of expression that your soul knows. You don’t have to think about it. It just makes its way out. That, in essence, is part of the healing process,” Tasha explains.

Patients, as well as their siblings, are given the chance to express their emotions authentically through art therapy when they might not have the words or the energy to do so otherwise. Tasha focuses on the significance of allowing the kids a choice each time they visit, as they are not often given choices when it comes to receiving treatment.

AYA Group

In addition to art therapy, Tasha helps facilitate an Adolescent Young Adult (AYA) group at Mercy Clinic, along with esteemed partners Dr. Rob Hanson, Laura Hanks, Dr. Kurt Soell, and others.

This group focuses on older patients, who often feel even more isolated because of their age. It is the St. Louis region’s only dedicated young adult cancer program designed specifically for adolescents and young adults aged 15-30+.

“I was floored at how these adolescents were able to show their stories through their art. I knew immediately [art therapy is] what I wanted to do.”

Art from the Heart

Friends’ annual Art From the Heart fundraiser launched on September 23, 2010 after patient Kat and her sister Leccia, expressed their desire to feel heard and share their artwork. She now looks forward to this day each year, as the event not only opens the opportunity for kids to share their stories, but also enhances their sense of community.

“They wanted to be heard. They felt like nobody understood what they were going through,” she explains. “They would love an avenue to share their art and have other people bear witness and through that feel a sense of community.”

Tasha spends time at Mercy Clinic throughout the year providing art therapy to patients, in addition to producing artwork auctioned at the event.

Friends of Kids with Cancer expanded art therapy programming by contracting two additional art therapists to serve patients being treated at Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and The Costas Center at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Tasha moved to treating patients exclusively at Mercy Clinic.

Since then, Friends’ three art therapists have facilitated thousands of hours of mental health services to patients through art therapy as well as the production of hundreds of meaningful pieces of artwork donated for auction at the Art from the Heart event—helping patients connect with themselves, their community, and fundraise for an organization that has helped them so much. ▪

Learn more about Art from the Heart at friendsofkids.com/art