On April 4, community members from across Northern Indiana gathered at the Center for Hospice Care (CHC) in Mishawaka for an exhibition of art created in the After Images art counseling program. This program, which has been hosted at the CHC for 25 years, was created by counselor Dave Labrum as a way for individuals to process their grief through art. The program lets participants experiment with various media such as pastels or oil and acrylic paints. The evening’s exhibition, entitled “Opening John’s Eyes,” centered on the work of one of the program’s longtime participants, Caley Prichard. The series features 19 of the 42 paintings that Prichard produced in the After Images program over a 14-month period.
In 2020, the doctors informed Prichard and her husband Joe Prichard that they were unable to detect the heartbeat of the couple’s unborn son, John. The Prichards received this news four days after John’s due date. Prichard and her husband decided to go through with the delivery and she delivered John as a stillborn. Devastated by the loss and isolated from others due to COVID, Prichard sank into a deep depression. At her mother’s suggestion, Prichard eventually began attending a bereavement group hosted by Labrum at the CHC. Prichard later joined the After Images art counseling program, working with Labrum in one-on-one sessions in the organization’s art studio. In her opening remarks, Prichard described the impact that the After Images program had on her.
“For two-and-a-half years, therapy really was my job,” Prichard said. “I came here once or twice a week and worked through my grief. I finally got to a happier place and now I can work on developing the relationship that I have with my son, John. I couldn’t hold my little baby, but I know that he is right here with me. That’s not something I would have recognized had I not been in art therapy with Dave. Art therapy made me into a new person, and, as that new person, I get to help others by putting on this show and spreading my story. I can make connections with others, listen to them, and tell them they’re not alone.”
Labrum, who holds a Master of Fine Arts degree and is a licensed mental health counselor, shared the methods he employs when leading the After Images art counseling program.
“Once each participant feels safe with me, then we can establish a mutual trust with each other,” said Labrum. “If that trust isn’t established, they won’t come back. I always want them to come back. All of their artwork is based on my relationship with them. I don't do a lot of directing, I just let the grieving process proceed naturally and I support them as they go through it.”
As he addressed the attendees during his remarks, John Mastrojohn III, the president and CEO of the CHC, offered his own perspective on the After Images art counseling program.
“Many people don't realize how unique our counseling program here is,” Mastrojohn said. “Programs like After Images are not common at hospices. Our influence doesn't just extend to the people that we serve, but it extends across the community, something else about us that is really unique. Dave’s dedication really enriches our community and it touches so many people. We're grateful for that.”
Not only has her time in the After Images art counseling program helped Prichard to deal with the heartache of her past, but it has also given her a renewed sense of purpose and hope for the future.
“After I met Dave and did art therapy, I became a person that I actually liked,” Prichard said. “I began putting myself first, which was not something I used to do. If I hadn't gone through all this, if art therapy hadn't helped me become the person that I am now, there's no way I'd be able to get through the next part of my adventure: being pregnant with my little baby girl. All the things I've learned about myself and have gotten from art therapy are going to make whatever comes next that much easier.”
The exhibition continued well into the evening as attendees walked around enjoying the refreshments, chatting with one another, or quietly reflecting on Prichard’s artwork.
For more information on the Center for Hospice Care, please visit www.cfhcare.org.