Personal Coat of Arms

Heidi Bolster, CTRS created this activity for an art therapy group at our facility.

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Supplies:

·         Copies of blank “coat of Arms” paper

·         Markers, colored pencils, crayons

·         Examples of coat of arms for reference and ideas

Purpose

·         To get patients thinking about what things represent who they are

·         What is most important to the patient?

·         To even get patients thinking about their history, their family, and their legacy

Intervention

·         Show examples of various coat of arms and ask patients what the coat of arms are/were for in the past?

·         Ask patients about the symbols in the coat of arms and the meanings behind the symbols.

·         Discuss with patients how people have used symbols throughout history to represent who they are, where they are from, and what their ambitions are in life.

·         Talk to patient about what things they might include in their own coat of arms.

·         Talk about what symbols might represent those things

·         Allow patients to begin working on their personal coat of arms.

·         Process what the patients included in their coat of arms and why

·         Talk about the benefit of knowing what you stand for and matters most to you in this life

·         Have the patients give examples of ways in which their personal coat of arms has made them more confident and inspired, and discuss how this will help them in the hospital and during future struggles.