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Coping Through Creativity: A Mom’s Story through Childhood Cancer

When my daughter Miley was 11 months old, she was diagnosed with cancer. I immediately immersed myself into her care. We were locked in battle against cancer. I was with her at the hospital the entire time—breast-feeding between her procedures and doctor visits—all during COVID lockdown. My sole mission was to get Miley cured.

Throughout her time in cancer treatment, Miley and I were surrounded by support: the medical staff, of course; but also mental health professionals, and loving family and friends, who all checked in regularly. A music therapist would come by our room regularly, and the sessions got us through the stressful in-patient days. We would listen to music together, especially my favorite singer, Miley Cyrus, and talk about what the lyrics meant.

April 20, 2025

Can music improve our health and quality of life?

Times are hard. The current political climate, war, impact of global warming, continued inequities due to systemic racism, and ongoing physical and mental health challenges from COVID are taking a toll on our feelings of safety in the world and quality of life. Hopefully, each of us can find moments of ease and temporarily shift our thoughts away from the difficult daily news. For many people, music can play a role in making that shift, even incrementally.

How can music impact our quality of life?

Recently, researchers looked at the impact of music interventions on health-related quality of life, and tried to answer the question about the best way to help make that shift toward release, relaxation, and rehabilitation. This recent systematic review and meta-analysis (a study of studies) showed that the use of music interventions (listening to music, singing, and music therapy) can create significant improvements in mental health, and smaller improvements in physical health–related quality of life. While the researchers found a positive impact on the psychological quality of life, they found no one best intervention or “dose” of music that works best for all people.

April 20, 2025

How Music Can Be Mental Health Care

In music therapy, clients play and listen to music as treatment for stress, depression and anxiety. Here’s how it works.

The therapy session begins when Isobell, 17, picks up a guitar.

Her fingers, adorned with silver rings and black nail polish, are positioned to play the first chord of Lana Del Rey’s “Candy Necklace.”

April 20, 2025

What is art therapy?

Shortly defined, art therapy means using artistic activities and products resulting from these activities, in order to enhance people’s wellbeing. Art therapy may help us have a better view upon our inner conflicts and emotional deadlocks, and to understand what has to be done to deal with them.

Art therapy is performed under the guidance of an art therapist, a person who is trained both in therapy and arts, able to skilfully use certain artistic mediums (painting, music, dance) for therapeutic activities.

April 20, 2025