Category: Program

By Kelly Flynn, MS, Garden and Landscape Manager at Hopewell

In the heart of every therapeutic community lies a shared goal: fostering healing, growth, resilience, and connection. For individuals navigating the complexities of mental illness, the path to recovery might extend beyond traditional therapies. As we learn more about the many forms of mental illness, these non-traditional therapies are justifiably, becoming a popular option. One innovative and humanistic approach is therapeutic horticulture.

What is Therapeutic Horticulture?

According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, therapeutic horticulture is “the process through which participants enhance their well-being through active or passive involvement in plant and plant-related activities.” (1)

Historical Precedents

People’s positive relationship to plants goes all the way back to the beginning of our first major civilizations. There are records from as far back as 2000 BCE from Mesopotamia and Egypt that document the benefits of a simple walk through the garden. The first documentation of the therapeutic use of horticulture, however, was in 1100 BCE at a monastery in Clairvaux, France. At that monastery, they kept a garden specifically for hospice patients. In 1812, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania published research stating that compared to those who didn’t participate in gardening, patients who worked in the gardens there had better recovery rates from mania (as defined at that time) (2).

Therapeutic gardening and later, horticulture therapy hit its stride in the 20th century. In the 1940s and 50s, Veterans Administration hospitals used on-site gardens to help with rehabilitation efforts. In the process, therapeutic horticulture started to become more widely known and used (1). In the 1970s, the American Horticulture Therapy Association was founded, validating therapeutic horticulture as a professional field of work with guidelines and certifications to become a Horticultural Therapist.

The Benefits of Therapeutic Horticulture

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that more than one in five or 23.1% of adults live with mental illness in the United States. Of that number 6% are classified as having serious mental illness (4). With this increasingly high number of adults affected, research is continuously being done to discover and validate different modalities for treatment.

There has been increased interest in researching how horticulture can help individuals living with mental illness. More recently published studies continue to show statistical significance of the positive benefits of therapeutic horticulture. One study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that participants reported a decrease in stress and anxiety and an increased feeling of well-being, engagement and sense of meaningfulness and/or accomplishment (5). Another study, using participants with mental illness, specifically studied the effect of Horticultural Therapy on self-esteem. This study included participants with schizophrenia and Major Depression Disorder among others. They found that regardless of the participants’ diagnoses, self-esteem scores increased (6).

Along with the mental health benefits, there are physical and social benefits as well. Gardening itself can encourage increased physical activity. Moving mulch, weeding, and seeding for example, help refine both gross and fine motor skills respectively. Depending on the time of year, individuals can benefit from being out in the sun; lowering blood pressure and increasing vitamin D levels (7). At Hopewell we farm produce on a ¼ of an acre. This might seem small but once the weeds start sprouting, it’s “all hands-on deck.” Gardening naturally fosters social interaction and communication. Gardening at Hopewell is a team effort. This teamwork helps build a sense of community and can increase an individual’s communication skills.

There is a wonderful acronym from Sally Haskett, HTR at NC State Extension that summarizes how therapeutic horticulture can affect one’s mental health and social connections by using the word P.L.A.N.T.S:

P: Purposeful – taking part in meaningful experiences with useful results

L: Life Focus – Being mindful of life in the present and forward thinking

A: Acceptance – Being accepted by others and accepting ourselves

N: Nurturance – Giving back, caring for another living being

T: Together – Making connections to people and the world around us

S: Safety – Feeling comfort, familiarity and security (3)

Therapeutic horticulture is incredibly versatile making it an inclusive therapy modality. Through research, therapeutic horticulture is repeatedly being shown to help individuals in many positive ways. With every paper published we learn more about how working with plants helps individuals. This in turn helps fund future research into the subject and helps fund new horticulture programs. The impact of gardening and working with plants cannot be understated.

• AHTA (n.d.). Ahta definitions and positions. American Horticultural Therapy Association. https://www.ahta.org/ahta-definitions-and-positions
• Dinardo, M. F., DePrado, L., Polanin, N., & Flagler, J. (n.d.). Enabling gardens: The practical side of horticultural therapy. FS1208: Enabling Gardens: The Practical Side of Horticultural Therapy (Rutgers NJAES). https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1208/
• Hendrick, R. (2021, January 27). Therapeutic Horticulture- Master Gardeners Filling a Gap. https://mastergardener.osu.edu/sites/mgv/files/imce/OSU EMG TH Presentation_Hendrick.pdf
• n/a. (n.d.). Mental illness. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
• Siu, A.M., Kam, M.C., & Mok, I. (2020). Horticultural Therapy Program for People with Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Evaluation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17.
• Subagyo, W., & Wahyuningsih, D. (2024). The Effect of Horticultural Therapy on Increased Self-Esteem for Mental Disorders in the Community. IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia.
• Thompson R. Gardening for health: a regular dose of gardening. Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Jun;18(3):201-205. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-3-201. PMID: 29858428; PMCID: PMC6334070.

By Nicole Holmes, LISW-S

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is a highly effective treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It engages individuals in confronting their fears and breaking free from the cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors present within OCD. The Hopewell ERP group provides structure, guidance, encouragement, and support within a therapeutic environment.

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a diagnosis in which people have unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) which cause them to perform repetitive actions and behaviors (compulsions). The obsessive thoughts are sometimes referred to as intrusive thoughts because they are not wanted and often do not align with the person’s own sense of self or morality. OCD is often categorized into different subtypes including checking, counting, contamination, pedophilia, symmetry, scrupulosity, and false memory.

Let’s look at one common situation. An individual with OCD might have an obsessive thought of “my door might be unlocked,” which results in a compulsive “checking” behavior such as returning home multiple times to test that the door is locked. The obsessive thought that the door might be unlocked creates a sense of uncertainty that is so distressing it feels intolerable for those with OCD. The compulsive behavior of checking that the door is locked provides temporary relief of that distress, thus creating a cycle that does not end.

Everyone may occasionally forget if they locked their door or perhaps left the stove on, resulting in a need to come home to check. However, with OCD, these thought patterns and behaviors tend to be so intense that they significantly impact a person’s ability to perform daily activities and diminish their quality of life.

What is Exposure and Response Prevention?

Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that is specifically designed to help people suffering from OCD, although it can be useful for other diagnoses as well like social anxiety. Under the supervision of a specially trained therapist, ERP works to expose individuals to their obsessive or intrusive thoughts while delaying in engaging compulsive behaviors or mental acts. The goal is to build tolerance and habituate to the feelings of uncertainty that exist when exposed to the obsessive thought (Exposure) without engaging in the compulsion (Response Prevention). This is done through repeated and often graded exposures that trigger the distress connected to the obsessive thought while delaying the ability to engage in the compulsion.

Going back to our situation of “my door might be unlocked” and applying ERP to it could look a few different ways. One way would be to postpone checking the door for a predetermined amount of time and once that time has ended allowing the checking compulsion to occur. The goal would be to gradually increase the amount of time postponing the checking compulsion until it no longer provides a sense of relief from the distress. Another way might be to add a “ritual tax” where you must engage in another task whenever you engage in the checking compulsion. This might look like putting your hands in the air and spinning in a circle twice while saying “I’m engaging in a compulsion” every time you check to make sure the door is locked. The goal of this would be to make the checking compulsion less appealing to the point that the uncertainty (distress) of “my door might be unlocked” is the favorable option.

What is a Therapeutic Community?

The philosophy of a therapeutic community is that each resident feels empowered to be an active participant in their own recovery as well as in the recovery of other residents through any and all day-to-day activities. Therapeutic community at Hopewell shows up in the daily care of farm animals, the caretaking of our grounds, and support given and received within therapy groups. Staff and residents alike engage in meals and community building activities together. The ideology behind a therapeutic community is the cornerstone to Hopewell’s program model.

How Does a Therapeutic Community Impact ERP Therapy?

Hopewell’s therapeutic community naturally provides a level of support for those engaging in the difficult work of recovery, especially exposure work. ERP work should always be somewhat challenging and at times even daunting. Willingly putting oneself into a triggering situation can be very distressing, which is why ERP should always be done with a specially trained therapist.

At Hopewell, individuals benefit from the support of both trained staff and the entire therapeutic community. ERP group members can be seen wandering the grounds together, supporting one another as they engage in exposures. ERP group at Hopewell looks a little different every day. Most days members are doing exposure work in group with the support of other group members. Participating in group exposure work can include doing exposure lotteries, where group members create exposure slips and put them in a box to draw from at random. Another activity is the wheel of exposure, where group members spin a wheel. If it lands on a hard, medium, or easy exposure they will then engage in it with the support of the group.

The organic experiences one naturally has while a member of the Hopewell community translate into applicable exposure work. The Hopewell community supports those in ERP in building their mental fitness naturally while gaining support socially.

By Heidi Moser, LPC, Hopewell Clinician

Relationships between human beings and animals have existed since the dawn of time (picture a big wooden boat floating around the flooded earth with two of every creature). Throughout history animals have provided food and transportation, helped tend fields, herded and protected livestock, served as police officers, guided the blind, and moved into our homes and hearts. More recently animals have even taken on the job of therapist as part of a treatment modality, Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), that is gaining increased recognition and research attention.

So what is AAT? What does it take to be a therapy animal? How is that different from a service animal? And what are emotional support animals? Read on as we explore these questions and more together.

Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) Definition

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) defines AAT as “a goal directed intervention in which an animal meeting specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process. Animal-assisted therapy is delivered and/or directed by health or human service providers working within the scope of their profession. Animal-assisted therapy is designed to promote improvement in human physical, social, emotional, or cognitive function” (https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/animal-assisted-interventions-definitions). While the AVMA provides definitions and general guidelines for AAT, the AVMA is not a governing body of therapies involving animals. In fact, there is no one individual regulatory agency for the field.

What classifies an animal as a therapy animal can vary and depends upon the accrediting organization. Numerous organizations register or certify therapy animals and handlers. Some, like the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, certify canines only, while other organizations like Pet Partners (formerly the Delta Society) register multiple species of animals including guinea pigs, birds, and alpacas to name a few. Published information can be found in the Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy (now in its sixth edition) and the Standards of Practice in Animal-Assisted Interventions (https://therapyanimalstandards.org/), both of which provide best practices for individuals and organizations engaged in AAT.

Therapy animals must have proper training along with steady temperaments, and owners/handlers must be knowledgeable and able to work effectively with their pets. In addition to remaining under their handlers’ control, therapy animals must be able to remain calm and responsive in the presence of loud or unexpected stimuli, such as one might find in a public setting. A reputable certifying organization abides by published standards and will not grant status of therapy animal to just any pet (or owner). For instance, while my completely adorable Corgi, Ducky, is super friendly most of the time, she barks at kids in strollers and lunges at people on bikes when we are out walking. Such behavior effectively rules her out as a therapy dog (unless her lackadaisical owner works on habituating Ducky to these things, and even then, there are no guarantees).

Therapy Animals, Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals – Oh My!

Therapy animals and service animals have similarities, but service animals are often more specific in their function and go through more rigorous training and screening. Like therapy animals, service animals must meet certain criteria and be recognized by a certifying body. However, unlike them, federal laws allow for service animal provisions. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) a service animal is defined as “any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability” (https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/regulations/title-iii-regulations).

Along with dogs, the ADA specifically recognizes miniature horses as service animals. According to the law, businesses and government agencies must make reasonable accommodations to allow a disabled person’s use of their service animal. It is important to note that the ADA is intended to provide legal protection for people with disabilities, not service animals apart from their owners. The law also requires service animals to be housebroken and under the control of their handlers at all times.

Hours and hours of work and expertise go into training a service animal, yet even then, not every animal that undergoes the training makes the cut. A steady temperament that is appropriate to the served person/population proves to be a major factor in whether that animal goes on to work as a service animal. For an interesting and in-depth look at what it takes to train (and become) a service dog, check out the Netflix documentary, “Inside the Mind of a Dog.”

Emotional support or assistance animal is a term used to describe an animal that provides emotional and/or physical benefit to their owner but does not necessarily have any formal training or certification like service and therapy animals do. While the ADA only allows provisions for service animals, the federal Fair Housing Act extends protection for disabled individuals and their emotional support or assistance animals. Once again, this law concerns individuals with disabilities, so if a person wants to move into apartment that does not allow pets, they need to have a documented disability in order to claim their pet is an emotional support or assistance animal.

Doctors and therapists are increasingly being asked to write emotional support animal (ESA) letters for clients. Whether or not an individual could be provided with an ESA letter depends on their diagnosis as well as the policy of their provider’s practice/agency on issuing such letters.

Animal-Assisted Interventions at Hopewell

So, how does all of this apply at Hopewell? Although Hopewell is first and foremost a working farm and does not offer Animal-Assisted Therapy per se, we do incorporate Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) into treatment, depending on a resident’s preferences and individualized service plan. The AVMA describes AAI as “a broad term that is now commonly used to describe the utilization of various species of animals in diverse manners beneficial to humans” (https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/animal-assisted-interventions-definitions).

At Hopewell residents can participate in Equine Assisted Learning, facilitated by Hopewell clinician, Annie Melinz, under the guidance of our Acting Executive Director, Colleen Welder, both of whom are avid horse enthusiasts and trained in this therapeutic modality. During this activity residents interact with the horses by walking with them, grooming them, and learning to read their body language and vocalizations. Residents also learn etiquette and manners around the horses and can gradually gain confidence through guiding the horses. Annie checks in with residents before and after the group and noted that residents report feeling more calm and “free” after working with the horses. The horses can also help residents process emotions through what they observe in the horses. Annie shared, “Horses can feel someone’s heartbeat from six feet away. Horses can pick up on and reflect how we are feeling.”

In addition, many residents and staff enjoy taking care of our resident horses (two minis and two full-sized), goats, pigs, turkeys, and numerous chickens. Residents feed the animals, clean their stalls, brush the horses, escort the horses and goats to the pasture, and feed and collect eggs from the chickens. Hopewell also has a herd of Belted Galloway cattle (picture giant roaming Oreo cookies that chew their cud and moo). Four calves were born this year! What a joy it was to see the little ones in the field among the herd. One of the calves, named Macy, was sadly rejected by her mother and had to be bottle fed. Needless to say there was competition among the Hopewell community when it came time to feed her.

A resident who recently completed her treatment program and returned home to her family was asked how interacting with the animals at Hopewell impacted her treatment. She replied, “It gave me relief during the day, helping them. They helped with anxiety and calmed my nerves.” Noted among the experiences that stand out most for her was feeding the baby calf which she described as “special.”

Another opportunity to interact with living creatures at Hopewell includes weekday fish feeding at one of the two ponds on campus. Strange as it might sound, residents and staff particularly enjoy the appearance of four large catfish that seem to be able to tell time (or perhaps more accurately detect the presence of footsteps on the dock). One resident who regularly attends the fish feeding stated, “I think the time I started feeding the fish is when I began to participate more in other activities as well.” This resident was instrumental in naming all four of the catfish and knows them so well that he can easily pick out each one!

Animals appear to help facilitate residents’ engagement in the Hopewell therapeutic farm community through sharing in enjoyable activities involving the other living creatures who reside here. Connection with others is an important part of achieving and maintaining wellness, but for those struggling with mental health conditions, sometimes interacting with other people proves challenging. Connecting with and through animals can be more accessible for some, especially those who may struggle with social anxiety.

The Human-Animal Bond

All the above examples speak to the healing effect animals can have in our lives and demonstrate the power of the human-animal bond. It is well known that interacting with an animal can improve human physical health. Research has shown that spending time with animals can reduce stress and even decrease blood pressure. When one considers the mind-body connection, it makes sense that animals improve our mental wellness, too. People report less depression and anxiety after spending time with animals. Animals offer us companionship and can be a good cure for loneliness.

But one does not need to be a Hopewell resident or in an animal-assisted therapy program to reap the benefits of animal assisted interactions. While animals are certainly not for everyone, those of us who have ever loved a pet are well aware of the meaningful and unique nature of the human-animal bond. Taking care of an animal involves getting up off the couch to walk the dog, play with the cat, exercise the horse, etc. Pet owners experience a sense of responsibility and satisfaction in caring for something other than themselves.

Animals can make us smile and laugh, enriching our lives in countless ways. Aside from providing food and shelter, one might start to wonder whether we do as much for them as they do for us. Although they regularly communicate with us in other ways, if animals could speak our language what might they say about the human-animal bond?

Hopewell is currently seeking applicants for our 2024 Visiting Artist Program. Our visiting artist program is designed to foster an alliance between creative arts and wellness. We are seeking artists who value the connection between mental health and artistic expression, and who are interested in exploring this intersection through instruction, collaboration, and community engagement. Through this program, it is our vision to connect individuals experiencing mental illness with creative and innovative approaches to healing and recovery.

As a visiting artist, you will be invited to stay on the farm in a private apartment for the duration of your artist workshop. Meals with the community will be provided, and artists will have access to studio space as well as the rest of our 325-acre working farm, including hiking trails, ponds, and natural sanctuaries. Artists will be expected to run a minimum 2-day workshop that will provide instruction of their craft to our residents. Projects may be tailored to individual or group work. Artists will also be asked to donate a creative piece of their own making that will reflect the visiting artist’s experience. Cost of supplies, up to $500, for running the workshop will be covered by Hopewell and artists will receive an additional $500 stipend at the completion of their stay.

To apply for our visiting artist program, please submit to Clare Conway at cconway@hopewell.cc: • Resume or CV • Letter of intent stating your specific interest in working with Hopewell and how involvement will influence your work • Three professional references • Portfolio work that clearly demonstrates what you will provide for the workshop.

Hopewell’s University Circle Transition Program provides to residents discharged from the farm a highly effective apartment-based program to support their transition to more independent living in the community.

University Circle, on the east side of Cleveland, is a world-class center of innovation in health care, education, and arts and culture. It offers a variety of social, cultural, entertainment, and occupational opportunities for residents, including collaboration with Circle institutions in the musical and visual arts, mental health, health care, education, gardening, and urban forestry.

What is Meditation? Simply put, meditation is an exercise used to help bring awareness and mindfulness into the present moment. Meditation practices have been used for thousands of years across cultures all over the world to facilitate clarity and observation of thoughts, emotions, sensations, and actions. In today’s mental health field, most evidence-based practices for treating mental illnesses utilize some form of meditation practice as a tool for strengthening one’s ability to be aware and present.

But what is it about the present moment? How does being aware help us in our daily lives?

When people hear the word “meditation”, they may conjure up the image of a peaceful, serene setting, a person sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, harmoniously still and one with their environment. In actuality, the practice of meditation is an opportunity to give attention to whatever we are experiencing in the moment. Sometimes what we are experiencing in the moment may, in fact, be quite disruptive or uncomfortable, overwhelming even. We are often running on “auto-pilot” if you will. We go about our days, avoiding the uncomfortable or painful things that may arise and remain unaware of our distress often until it is too overwhelming to ignore or deal with.

Meditation can be effectively used as a way for us to build tolerance toward all our experiences, regardless of whether they feel peaceful or not. It serves as a tool to help us de-clutter the messes of the moment, to notice our experiences as they are happening, and to invite us to take on an observer’s role so that we may better explore our options for dealing with the issues at hand. As we meditate, we build mindful awareness toward our thoughts, emotions, sensations, and actions without judgment or criticism. We simply notice what comes up as it arises and find ways to observe and describe our experiences based on our observation. From this observer’s role, we are then able to stay with the moment at hand and rationally formulate strategies for coping with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

As we begin to build awareness to the present moment, we may also invoke a sense of spaciousness. This spaciousness gives us room to explore what is going on as we are experiencing it and uncover options for managing the moment. Often, when we become overwhelmed by our experiences, we are not only experiencing the moment at hand, but we are also drumming up unresolved issues from the past or concerning ourselves over future matters that have not occurred yet. Meditation allows us to parse out what is within our control for the moment and what we can let go of for the time being. It enables us to take notice of how our brains and bodies respond to both our internal and external stimuli. It connects us to our sensory channels of information so that we may provide ourselves with the comfort we need when we start to feel overwhelmed. Meditation does not always feel comfortable, harmonious, or peaceful. Instead, it instructs us on how to stay with the moment, even when the moment is threatening to overwhelm us. Meditation opens the doorway to our options for navigating in those moments.

At Hopewell, meditation is a practice that is woven into many aspects of our programming. In clinical groups, residents have an opportunity to be educated on and begin developing their own meditative practices. In our nature groups and eco-therapy, the environment is used as a powerful metaphor for our experiences and in observing nature, we equip our residents with tools to understand the power of awareness. In our equine therapy groups and engagement with the animals on the farm, mindfulness is a necessary component for remaining alert to the animal’s needs, teaching us how to utilize our five senses for observation. Yoga and exercise opportunities help residents learn to regulate and utilize the breath and how to build tolerance for temporary discomfort. In our art therapy and music groups, mindful engagement is paramount to the creative process. We are always looking for new ways to explore meditation here on the farm!

Our new University Circle Transition Program adds the heritage and capability of Hopewell to the vibrancy of Cleveland’s University Circle area.

Like our Club Hope program, our University Circle Transition Program presents a structured and supported way for those discharged from our farm-based residential community to practice and broaden their independent living skills.

Participants in our University Circle Transition Program live in their own furnished apartments, but are supported by a team of Hopewell staff, including full-time staff working in the same building, visiting staff from the farm, and “virtual” farm team members providing services to them via telehealth.

For each new participant, our University Circle Transition Program begins with a high degree of clinical and case-management structure and support, and then is adapted to the needs of each participant. We help them access the rich cultural, entertainment, educational, occupational and mental health services in University Circle at the same time as they build more independence, more confidence, and more effectiveness.

Transition planning at Hopewell begins even before admission to the farm, as our entire purpose is to help farm residents live a more self-reliant and satisfying life. For some farm residents, this transition means returning to their home communities after discharge, either with their original supporting structures or with new structures that our staff has helped them find. Other farm residents after discharge participate in Club Hope, our day program at the farm itself.

To these options we have now added our University Circle program, which is perfect for those who are ready for discharge from our farm, but not yet ready for fully independent living. Participants in our University Circle Transition Program, through the resources we both make directly available to them and also help them discover in the University Circle area, can make a structured, supported, and Hopewell-integrated transition to more independent living.

University Circle is at the center of much of Cleveland’s educational, health care, arts, and employment communities. Within a mile of our Transition Program apartments are Case-Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Cleveland Music Settlement, Magnolia Clubhouse, University Hospitals of Cleveland, the Cleveland VA Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Cleveland Botanical Garden, many parks, and countless volunteer, employment, dining, entertainment, and shopping opportunities.

Art therapy is a type of healing modality that utilizes creative expressive arts to explore, express, and alleviate psychiatric distress. It is based on the belief that self-expression has healing value and enables those engaged in the process of art-making to deepen their sense of self and meaning. Art therapy offers a vast array of techniques and projects to meet the needs of both individual and group settings. At Hopewell, we explore many of these offerings in a variety of ways on the farm!

Art Work Groups in Hopewell’s Residential Mental Health Community

Art therapy is embedded within Hopewell’s meaningful work projects. Five days a week, residents meet in the art studio and learn how to craft a variety of wares that are sold in local shops.

Each project is designed to promote group engagement, skill building, creative problem solving, risk-taking, time management, following direction, and project completion. Self-care products, fiber arts, pottery, and woodworking skills are taught to residents as the community comes together to craft products that benefit health and well-being.

Art Therapy in Hopewell’s Residential Mental Health Community

In Hopewell’s art therapy groups and individual sessions, residents explore and deepen their insight into their personal healing process. Projects are tailored to suit self-discovery in safe and contained ways. Art mediums are considered and chosen based on the needs of the group or individual and completed projects may be processed to strengthen understanding and meaning.

Art therapy sessions do not focus on technical skill or ability, rather they invite the individual to explore mindfully – that is, non-judgmentally, without criticism – helping to build observational awareness in the process of creation.

Many residents have also chosen to create a series of art pieces based on their experience while in treatment. These series of works have been displayed in Hopewell’s dining room gallery, providing residents the opportunity to share about their creative process as it relates to their healing journey. This opportunity has provided residents with confidence building, critical thinking skills, building boundaries, and taking the risk to share their works with a larger audience.

The Range of Art and Art Therapy at Hopewell

Hopewell’s commitment to community is also reflected in partnering with the wider artistic community. Four times per year, visiting artists from throughout the Cleveland and Northeast Ohio area come to stay on the farm for several days and provide workshops based on the artist’s medium. Metalsmiths, printmakers, ceramicists, mixed media artists, illustrators, and photographers have participated in this rich program which offers the Hopewell community a chance to connect with a wider array of the creative world.

Our visiting artist program is designed to foster an alliance between the creative arts community and wellness. Artists who participate in this program value the connection between mental health and artistic expression and have an interest in exploring this intersection through instruction, collaboration, and community engagement. Through this program, residents connect with even more creative and innovative approaches to healing and recovery.

Hopewell’s art therapists utilize many different mediums including paint, drawing, collage, mixed media, fiber arts, ceramics, photography, woodworking, recycled materials, and natural elements to keep the curiosity flowing.

We believe that each and every person is an artist, and engaging residents in the creative process provides a truly enriching and valuable experience on their path to wellness.

For more on Hopewell’s residential mental health community, see this.