Children's Emergency Department is now located in Children's Tower: 1001 E. Marshall Street.

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Art and music therapy

Art therapy

Art therapy provides your child with a creative outlet to express emotions, cope with pain and stress, and have fun in the health care setting.

Our art therapists understand the healing value of art and artistic traditions. By applying their special knowledge of human development and psychology, clinical practice, and spiritual and cultural customs, they help children and their families deal with the impact of complex medical conditions on their lives.

Art therapy is provided to patients in the hospital and in select outpatient clinics on the VCU Medical Center campus.

Music therapy

Music therapy can stimulate all of the senses and be a welcome distraction for a child who might be experiencing pain and fear after an illness or injury. 

Through one-on-one and group sessions, our certified music therapists use music to help your child reach treatment goals, which include to:

  • Alleviate pain
  • Enhance memory
  • Express feelings
  • Improve communications
  • Manage stress
  • Promote physical rehabilitation
  • Promote wellness

Music therapy can include everything from listening to your favorite song to strumming a guitar or shaking a maraca. Song writing can even help children communicate and connect with others to share their feelings in ways that might not otherwise be possible. 

We provide therapy in inpatient and outpatient settings. Talk to your child’s nurse or child life specialist if your child is interested in music therapy.