Art Therapy as a Psychosocial Support in a Child’s Palliative Care

Abstract

This viewpoint describes the case of a 4-year-old boy’s journey in art therapy after his cancer had returned, which despite surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, ultimately claimed his life. The patient and his family participated in art therapy over the course of 18 months. As an integrated, palliative component of treatment, art therapy helped this patient and his family navigate 4 distinct phases of care, from diagnosis to end of life, in response to the family’s changing needs. Communicating directly and symbolically at the end of the child’s life allowed the family to create a lasting legacy.