Therapist
contact person to contact person
This is for those of you who are contact persons in the field of psychiatry. Perhaps you are a psychologist, a contact person, a nurse or a social worker. Perhaps you recognise a psychiatric patient who could benefit from spending time with like-minded individuals in a creative setting, but who is not interested in existing offers, or someone who needs a disease-free community. It could be someone with an interest in art and culture who is very resourceful and creative but who may find it difficult to function in many social contexts.
When I first heard about the art groups, I was a little cautious because I am responsible for referring my patients to safe and effective programmes that also consider their vulnerabilities. What makes it safe to refer patients to the art groups and activities at the Centre for Art and Mental Health is that professional therapists are involved, and they keep in close contact with us regular therapists. For example, they contact us if situations arise in the groups that we need to know about. The users I have referred have clearly improved as a result.
Doctor to doctor
‘Taking part in our art groups as a doctor is not only incredibly fun and joyful, but also very educational from a professional point of view. Everyone, including clinicians, can improve their fiction writing or artistic skills.
I have found that patients who have been in hospital for a long time and have not said much during consultations have revealed an inner life through their artistic work, which has been quite eye-opening.
“The art workshop, as an interpersonal meeting place, enables other forms of conversation, shared reflection, play, and exploration of what it means to be human. I feel that meeting patients in this creative space makes me a better doctor.”
Creative writing as a cure for caregiver fatigue
As a doctor, finding the right balance between being too thick-skinned and risking cynicism, and being too thin-skinned and risking burnout, can be challenging. Reading and writing literary narratives may be an effective way to combat caregiver fatigue. The Center for Art and Mental Health recently hosted a creative writing workshop for practitioners to address this issue.
Caregiver fatigue is taking its toll on the field of psychiatry.
Anna Rieder, author and member of the Center for Art and Mental Health, shares her experiences of psychiatry in an article in Politiken, calling for more care and attention to be given to the individual. In a February 2022 interview with Politiken, she emphasises the importance of using a language other than clinical and diagnostic terminology, and talks about her experience of writing and expressing her feelings in writing groups at the Centre for Art and Mental Health.