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Colourful new mural for adolescent mental health unit

08 Jul 24

HPFT staff and service users have worked together to paint a new mural at Forest House General Adolescent Unit.

Forest House is a specialist inpatient ward for young people who are experiencing a variety of mental health difficulties, including psychosis and eating disorders. It provides a safe, caring and respectful environment which now has an extra splash of colour.

A bright and colourful mural painted on two walls, including paintings of nature, the ocean, a boat, a lighthouse and people.

The unit’s recreation room has a new bright and colourful mural created through a project led by Janine Greenberg, a former Trainee Art Therapist at the unit and Jessica Small, Art Psychotherapist.

During weekly art therapy groups at the unit, service users had the chance to create artwork inspired by themes such as the countryside, nature, pop culture and graphic design. The weekly art therapy groups were also popular with staff – many colleagues, such as Health Care Assistants, joined in with the image-making.

Janine then put everyone’s artwork together, seeking feedback from the group throughout the process and changing the design until everyone was happy.

Finally, over eight weeks, Janine, staff and service users worked together in painting the mural.

Jessica Small, Art Psychotherapist said:

“Art therapies such as this project can bring many benefits to service users, as it helps them to express their thoughts and feelings creatively and connect with others, enhancing mental wellbeing. We are delighted with the mural and love seeing the joy it brings to service users and staff in the recreation room.”

Janine, former Trainee Art Therapist at HPFT, standing in front of the wall mural

A close-up of the wall mural, showing a young girl on a swing in the centre, surrounded by nature and the ocean

A close-up of the wall mural, showing abstract designs of nature, animals and peopleJessica Small, Art Psychotherapist at HPFT, standing in front of the mural

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