Healing Through Clay: How Canadian Healthcare Workers Are Reclaiming Calm
A hospital in Ontario is helping healthcare workers slow down through guided clay workshops. This piece explores how tactile creative expression is being used to support emotional resilience in high-pressure environments — and what it tells us about the growing role of arts in wellness worldwide.
2/22/20261 min read
Healing Through Clay: How Canadian Healthcare Workers Are Reclaiming Calm
At Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, Ontario, healthcare workers have been participating in a program called Reclaiming Clay, developed in partnership with the Art Gallery of Burlington.¹ The initiative invites staff to engage in guided clay sessions designed to provide reflective space and stress relief during demanding clinical schedules. Participants describe the tactile, hands-on process as grounding and socially connective. Reporting in Hospital News notes that research links creative arts engagement with reduced burnout, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms among health professionals, with benefits that may extend beyond the intervention period.¹
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Sources
Hospital News. “Mental Wellness for Health Care Providers Through Art.” Hospital News, 2024. Available at: https://hospitalnews.com/mental-wellness-for-health-care-providers-through-art/