First Lady Karen Pence visited NPO Resilience, a non-profit organization that offers art therapy for victims of domestic violence, where she participated in an art therapy session with participants enrolled in the Japanese art therapy initiative.
“While visiting NPO Resilience today, I was humbled and honored to be invited to participate in an art therapy session with victims of domestic violence. I was inspired by their courage,†shared First Lady Karen Pence. “I have had an opportunity to visit art therapy programs in Indiana, as well as internationally. I continue to be amazed by how much art therapy affects the healing process both emotionally and physically. I commend Robyn Tsuji, Art Therapy Coordinator, and NPO Resilience for their dedication to helping those in need.â€
Mrs. Pence joined a group of women, all victims of domestic violence, for an art therapy session, which included drawing art expressions of items important to the women, items they were proud of and items they wished they could change. At the end of the session as a parting gift, the women presented Mrs. Pence with a canvas which featured teardrop-shaped paper notes inscribed with the women’s sentiments for the future. In return, Mrs. Pence presented each of the women with a gift bag from her charitable foundation in Indiana, the Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation.
NPO Resilience offers Japan-wide seminars for victims of domestic violence, which include art therapy. The art therapy process is a form of psychotherapy involving the encouragement of free self-expression through painting, drawing or modeling, used as a remedial activity or an aid to diagnosis.
As a former art teacher, Mrs. Pence has seen the positive impact art therapy can have on patients. In 2013, Mrs. Pence created the Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation focusing on children, families and the arts. The foundation supports Riley Hospital for Children’s Art Therapy Initiative in Indiana, where she serves as the honorary chair. Mrs. Pence has also participated in art therapy activities called Combat Paper at Herron School of Art. Mrs. Pence serves on the board of Tracy’s Kids, an art therapy program at Lombardi Hospital in Georgetown.
As Indiana’s First Lady, Mrs. Pence advocates internationally for art therapy’s integration into traditional therapy programs. During Governor Mike Pence’s jobs and economic development mission to Germany in the spring of 2014, the First Lady met with art therapy leaders at the Weissensee School of Art in Berlin to exchange information on the latest best practices in the discipline. Most recently, during the Governor’s jobs mission to Toronto, Mrs. Pence visited the Toronto Art Therapy Institute where she met with students and teachers to learn more
