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By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune October 24. 2014 3:32PM Healing Arts Cancer patients say art therapy sessions are helping them cope with negative emotions. Roger Emry paints during an art therapy session Thursday at Providence Cancer Center in Medford. Mail Tribune / Julia Moore Cancer survivor Kitty Mackay held up a small bear she had sculpted out of clay in an effort to face her fears head-on. "I got fearful of everything after cancer. I felt like I couldn't make any plans for the future or take any chances," she said. "The bear represents something stronger than me that is unreasonable. You can't talk your way out of cancer." But gazing longer at the diminutive bear with its perky ears and arms outstretched toward her, Mackay added, "It's OK. There's no viciousness in it, and I can deal with it." Mackay is one of eight local cancer patients and cancer survivors meeting in group art therapy sessions at Providence Cancer Center in Medford. The 10 weeks of free sessions began in October thanks to a grant from the Haines Philanthropic Foundation and funding from the Providence Cancer Foundation. Guided by registered art therapist Delaine Due, the women and men use art to delve into their darkest, most negative emotions. But they also use painting, sculpture and drawing to envision how they can move forward and face their fears with strength and determination. Sherri Sexton has battled breast cancer for three years and recently completed reconstructive surgery. "When I was diagnosed, it was an overwhelming whirlwind. There was no time to deal with feelings," she said during a recent art therapy session. "Being here now is helping." At the beginning of the session, Sexton used watercolors to create an image of a person on the ground crushed by a giant boulder-like weight. Due encouraged her to paint a second image exploring exactly what the weight represented. Sexton painted a black circle representing her overwhelming fear of the cancer returning, but then covered up the circle with concentric rings of peach and red paint showing how she tried to hide her feelings. In a third watercolor, Sexton painted a woman standing up amid soothing, refreshing fields of blue and green paint. "By the third painting, I was realizing I could deal with the fear, look at it and crack it open. I can take it off my chest and be refreshed. Being terrified is not being in control of my life," she said. "I can deal with it." Sexton said she was seeing a counselor during her cancer treatment, but painting has allowed her to get her feelings out in a more concrete form. She said she plans to keep the paintings she has made during the art therapy sessions. "It shows how I'm going from being paralyzed to being refreshed," Sexton said. "I didn't know how to do art before. In art therapy, it doesn't have to be a perfect painting." As an art therapist, Due said she will offer suggestions on art techniques, but the sessions aren't art classes. "I will give them advice if it's in the service of helping them communicate their feelings and thoughts. I give support to their healing and psychological insight," she said. "It's not about making the picture prettier." Due said art therapy is different than making personal art on one's own, because a trained therapist is there to help a person investigate and work through their thoughts and feelings. Patients sometimes cry — as has happened at the Providence Cancer Center sessions. But the therapist needs to be able to help the person experience negative emotions, then regroup by the time the session ends, Due said. Cancer survivor Betty Van Lente, who beat her cancer three years ago, said it took a long time for her to recover her health after going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments. She said she is hopeful the art therapy sessions can help her get rid of residual fears and bad feelings from the intense medical experience. "I think it's done wonders for me and even more for other people who are bogged down by fear. It helps get rid of negative feelings and emotions from radiation," she said. Van Lente drew a picture of rubbish swept into a corner and labeled the drawing, "Leftover garbage from radiation treatment swept into the corner in an abandoned factory." She said she was surprised by the feeling of release and relief she felt from creating the drawing. Some artwork focused completely on positive emotions and thoughts. Judy Hunter created a colorful poster showing her medication, healthy foods, a cozy pillow and other things that would help her. She included words like family, hope, faith, friends, comfort and warmth. With everyone at different stages on the cancer journey, Van Lente said, members of the art therapy sessions can give each other advice, support and encouragement. "I believe we're helping each other. I've never been a joiner, but I'm getting a lot out of this," she said. Cancer patients and survivors, or people dealing with other medical conditions such as strokes or chronic pain, are encouraged to contact Due to be placed on a waiting list for potential future art therapy sessions. More free sessions could be offered if funding becomes available. Due can be reached at 541-499-5214. More information is available about her art therapy practice, People's Art, at www.PeoplesArt.net. Reach reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected].           http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20141024/NEWS/141029759 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->