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Rehabilitation Services

Creative Arts Therapy at NewYork-Presbyterian

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Creative arts therapy uses dance, writing, drama, art, or music to address physical, psychological, and social functioning. This type of therapy is provided by a licensed creative arts therapist (LCAT) and can help support patients with a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, neurologic deficits, cancer, eating disorders, and more.

NewYork-Presbyterian is home to a team of compassionate licensed creative arts therapists who use the modality of creative expression to encourage healing and overall well-being. Our experts consider all dimensions of each patient’s health in our clinical practice, including their unique lived experience, culture, and spirituality.

Why creative arts therapy?

Dealing with any kind of illness can bring up new or challenging emotions for many. Our licensed creative arts therapists can help patients and families in a number of ways, including:

  • Symptom management (pain, anxiety, depression)
  • Supportive psychotherapy
  • Physical and cognitive rehabilitation
  • Grief support

How do I receive these services?

At NewYork-Presbyterian, we provide creative arts therapy for adult patients by referral and on an inpatient basis, meaning you must be staying at the hospital to take part in the program.

Talk with your treatment team if you have questions about accessing creative arts therapy services.

Our creative arts therapy programs

We offer a range of art and music therapy interventions for adults. Our licensed creative arts therapists will work with you at the bedside, tailoring a program to fit your unique needs and interests. We’ve also introduced environmental music therapy, a program aimed at creating a soothing, welcoming environment, in our lobby and some of our ICUs.

 

Music therapy

  • Music-assisted meditation
  • Emotional processing
  • Songwriting
  • Supportive psychotherapy
  • Active music making
  • Lyrical analysis
  • Environmental music therapy
  • Musical entrainment
  • Musical reminiscence
  • Legacy work
  • Musical improvisation

 

Art therapy

  • Supportive psychotherapy
  • Structured art making /directives
  • Visual Storytelling/narrative self-expression
  • Projection and reflection through art
  • Emotion regulation through imagery
  • Visual journaling
  • Phototherapy
  • Open art
  • Guided imagery
  • Mindfulness-based meditation
  • Insight-oriented collage
  • Cultural crafts

 

Learn more about our LCAT training programs.

For questions about creative arts therapy at NewYork-Presbyterian, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Locations:

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center

180 Fort Washington Ave., Suite 199, New York, NY 10032

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NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital

5141 Broadway, New York, NY 10034

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