Today, Second Lady Karen Pence visited Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health in Indianapolis.
Upon arrival, Mrs. Pence was greeted by Matt Cook, President of Riley Hospital for Children, Kevin O’Keefe, President & CEO of the Riley Children’s Foundation, Paul Haut, Chief Operating Officer for Riley Hospital for Children, and Tory Callaghan Castor, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for IU Health.
Then, Mrs. Pence proceeded to the new art therapy studio where the art therapists showed her around the studio while Riley patients and former patients worked on art projects. Following the tour, the Second Lady participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the art therapy studio. The new studio at Riley Hospital will provide the only dedicated therapy space for patients, allowing them to leave their rooms for sessions; which increases confidentiality and provides a safe space for emotional expression, all key components to the therapeutic relationship.
Following the ribbon cutting, Mrs. Pence visited with patients and their families. Before departing Riley Hospital for Children, the Second Lady read a book to the pediatric patients and presented them with coloring books.
Second Lady Karen Pence serves as the Honorary Chair of the Art Therapy Initiative at Riley Hospital for Children. To stay updated on the Second Lady’s art therapy program visits, follow the Second Lady’s Blog Page. To stay updated on her events, follow her on Twitter at, @SecondLady.
About Art Therapy
Second Lady Karen Pence champions art therapy and calls the initiative, Art Therapy: Healing with the HeART. Art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. Professional art therapists who are experts in human development, psychological, and counseling theories and techniques facilitate art therapy. For more information about the art therapy profession, visit https://arttherapy.org/.
