Healing Through Expression: Art as a Pathway Back to Self

Tamara Catz, Certified Expressive Arts Therapist

Creative expression has long been a source of healing, connection, and insight. This month, Pacific Cancer Foundation is honored to introduce Healing Through Expression, a new expressive arts workshop designed for individuals on the breast cancer journey. The workshop is facilitated by Tamara Catz, Certified Expressive Arts Therapist, whose lived experience with breast cancer informs every element of her work.

We spoke with Tamara about the inspiration behind the workshop, the healing power of creativity, and what she hopes participants take with them—both during the session and beyond.

What inspired you to create this expressive arts offering specifically for individuals navigating breast cancer?

My inspiration for creating this expressive arts workshop stems from my personal journey with breast cancer. As a designer and artist, creativity had always been my form of self-expression and way of being in the world. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was transitioning out of my design career into one in the healing world. I was halfway through my master's in Oriental medicine when I had to pause everything to focus on healing.

During this challenging time, I rediscovered how deeply creativity connected me to my vitality and inner light. Through playing piano, free dancing, creating collages, intuitive painting and meditation, I found pathways back to myself when medical treatments and uncertainty threatened to disconnect me from my essence. These creative practices became not just coping mechanisms, but genuine sources of healing and reconnection.

This profound personal experience led me to shift my educational path from Chinese medicine to pursuing a master's in expressive arts therapy. I wanted to deepen my understanding of how creative expression facilitates healing and develop the skills to guide others through similar journeys. My workshop is born from both my professional training and the lived understanding of how art can illuminate even the darkest paths of the cancer experience.

Can you share a moment—either from your own experience or from facilitating a past group—that illustrates the power of creative expression in the healing process?

During my own breast cancer journey, there was a particularly difficult period when I felt completely disconnected from my body, and immersed in fear. One day I started to work on cutting pieces from magazines and intuitively created a piece with a woman at the center. Tears streamed down my face, not from sadness but from recognition. She was hugging herself and when I gave her voice she said: "I'm here to care for and bring tenderness to your hurt body.”

This moment showed me that creative expression isn't just about distraction or producing something beautiful—it's about creating a dialogue with parts of ourselves that cognitive processes alone cannot reach. This understanding now informs how I guide participants in my workshops to trust their creative impulses as authentic messengers from within.

What do you hope participants take away from this workshop, both in the moment and beyond?

In the moment, I hope participants experience a sanctuary where they can authentically express whatever arises without judgment or expectation. The workshop space is designed to honor each person's unique expression and relationship with their cancer journey through their art.

I want them to discover or rediscover the inherent wisdom of their creative impulses and how these can serve as companions throughout their healing process. Even if someone doesn't identify as "artistic," I hope they'll experience how natural and accessible creative expression can be when we remove the pressure of making "good art."

Beyond the workshop, my deepest hope is that participants integrate creative practices into their daily lives as ongoing resources for self-connection and healing. Whether through five minutes of journaling, dancing to a favorite song, or simply bringing more mindful awareness to everyday creative acts like cooking or gardening, these practices can continue to nourish them.

I also hope they carry forward the sense of community and shared humanity experienced in the workshop—the understanding that while each cancer journey is unique, creative expression offers a common language that can help us feel less alone. Ultimately, I want them to recognize that healing involves not just addressing the physical disease but also honoring the emotional, spiritual, and creative dimensions of who they are.

Register using the button below or by calling 808-242-7661. Space is limited to 12 participants to ensure a supportive and intimate experience.