Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
Re-activating life skills in cancer patients through expressive-creative workshops: A qualitative exploratory study
L Gangeri1, S Alfieri1, S Sborea2
1Clinical Psychology Department , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
Background:
Cancer strongly impacts on patients' lives, undermining their life skills. This research aimed to explore the perception of efficacy of participants in a series of expressive-creative workshops (ArtLab) designed to reactivate life skills in cancer patients.
Methods:
Quotations of two semi-structured focus groups with ten participants in ArtLab (Mean Age = 59; SD = 11.19) enrolled at [Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori] have been analyzed through a priori (top-down) thematic analysis which allowed us to identify life skills provided by WHO 1948: Emotional, Relational and Cognitive.
Results:
Thematic analysis showed ArtLab program's effectiveness, especially regarding Emotional and Relational life skills. Cognitive skills, instead, seemed to be only partially expressed. Sub-themes articulation for each life skill has been discussed.
Conclusion:
This study provides encouraging results with respect to the effectiveness of expressive-creative group workshops among cancer patients.
Related Concept Videos
Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Cancer Survival Analysis
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Treatment Resistant Cancers
Techniques of Therapeutic Communication II: Focusing, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
This therapeutic technique can also be used when a patient brings up pertinent information during a health-related conversation. The...

