Readout of Second Lady Karen Pence's Visit to Fort Belvoir Community Hospital

This afternoon, Second Lady Karen Pence visited Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, where she met with the art therapist and music therapist who work with its Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network program.

Upon arrival, she was greeted by directors of the hospital, and then introduced to the program's art and music therapists before proceeding with a tour of the facility.

Following the tour, the Second Lady had the opportunity to observe an art therapy session with a military family. She participated in the session and listened to their stories of how art therapy has impacted their life.

To stay updated on the Second Lady's art therapy program visits, follow the Second Lady's Blog Page. To stay updated on her events, follow her on Twitter at, @SecondLady.

About Art Therapy

Second Lady Karen Pence champions art therapy and calls the initiative, Art Therapy: Healing with the HeART. Art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. Professional art therapists who are experts in human development, psychological, and counseling theories and techniques facilitate Art therapy. For more information about the art therapy profession, visit https://arttherapy.org/.

About Creative Forces

Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with the U.D. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, plus state and local arts agencies. The network places creative art therapists at the core of patient-centered care at 11 military medical facilities across the country, as well as a telehealth program to reach patients in rural and remote areas, and increases access to therapeutic arts activities for military personnel and their families in local communities. Americans for the Arts is working with the NEA to provide administrative support for Creative Forces.