Art Therapy at Spencer Cancer Center Offers Creative Outlet for Patients

Battling cancer is never easy, but having a group to connect with and share experiences can help make it a little less intimidating. Nowhere is that more evident than during an art therapy session at the Spencer Cancer Center.

The Art Therapy Program at the Spencer Cancer Center began in March this year and is part of the facility’s holistic approach to cancer care as it addresses emotional well‑being alongside medical treatment.

“This program was designed to give our patients an outlet to express themselves,” said Chris Waits, executive director of oncology at the Spencer Cancer Center. “Navigating a diagnosis can be stressful, so we wanted to create an opportunity for connection and creative expression that simultaneously supports our patients’ minds, bodies and spirits as they undergo their fight.”

Art therapy is offered for current and former patients in three unique formats: chairside sessions during infusion treatments, take home assignments for radiation therapy patients and an art therapy group session held twice monthly.

During the various art therapy sessions, participants express themselves by creating art ranging from paintings to collages. The classes are led by Cierra Thomas, a former East Alabama Health environmental services employee who is now pursuing a graduate degree in art from Auburn University.

During the first group art session, participants put their creativity to work by crafting collages containing words of affirmation, writing in things that are important to them and adding positivity stickers.

“Art is a great way to get to know people,” said Jackie McDonough, a local art teacher who participated in the first group session. “I understood that the reason for it [art therapy] was for fellowship, which I think is really important, because you are more comfortable sharing with people who have gone through what you have gone through.”

For McDonough, who is a breast cancer survivor and the first in her family to face a cancer diagnosis, the Spencer Cancer Center became a place of support during treatment. She credits programs like art therapy and the Oncology Wellness Program as having created a positive atmosphere alongside her medical care.

“I can feel a difference in that the atmosphere [at the Spencer Cancer Center] is great,” McDonough said. “I hesitate to say my experience was good, because cancer is not a good experience, but I was beautifully taken care of.”

For more information on art therapy sessions at the Spencer Cancer Center as well as other offerings, visit the Cancer Center Resources page.

About East Alabama Health

East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital in Valley, East Alabama Medical Center North in Opelika, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinics and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 316-bed regional referral hospital. EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital provides emergency and outpatient services while its campus also features a nursing home and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 4,100 people and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University.