The Art Therapy Program, under the direction of an art therapist Suzanne Yau allows UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital patients to use creative tools for self-expression in group, and one-on-one sessions. Tapping into the creative process helps the children, teens and their families to work through the stress of their illness, and to give a voice to unexpressed thoughts and emotions. It also simply gives patients the pleasure of creativity.

Some of the Art Therapy Program special projects include:

The 100 Journals Project

This is a teen-focused, year long project at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Simple blank journals pass from one teen patient to the next to help them create, connect and cope with their experiences.

Hundreds of adolescents in San Francisco filled 25 journals, while all around the country and the world their hospitalized peers did the same in 75 more. From these journal entries, students from local San Francisco high schools as well as those from other states create plays that celebrate the struggle and triumph of adolescence and hospitalization. The performances are powerful moving expression of healthy teens interpreting the words and journal entries of our hospitalized teens.

The project is ongoing and new journals entries are being created everyday by UCSF patients.

Weekly Art Groups

Patients and families are given the opportunity to engage in creative projects that encourage dialog about topics of hospitalization; promote mutual support; and encourage the use of the creative process for coping and expression.

Sibling Art Groups

Siblings are able to express themselves through painting and drawing, providing a creative outlet to share their experiences and personality through art.

Children's Art Gallery

Located on the 6th floor of the Moffitt building, this gallery consists of 10 frames which display art that can be opened and changed out for rotating exhibits. It serves as a way to showcase a patient's creativity in the hospital.

To Make a Donation

Child Life Department
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
505 Parnassus Ave., Room L-171, Box 0210
San Francisco, CA 94143
Phone: (415) 353-1203