The moment you see the Center for Healing’s new mobile unit, you can tell something about it is different. Yes, it is a roomy trailer with private space where a patient can receive on-demand medical care with no appointment, and yes, there is space for people to make follow up appointments.
But this is no cold clinical space. Inside, framed art hangs on the walls aside flyers for services and the exterior is awash in pastel greens, blues, and pinks. This exterior, as well as some of the art on the inside, is the work of one patient, Zuleika Stuart.
“I’ve always done well in art class,” Stuart said. “I’ve always loved it.”
Stuart came to the Center for Healing for its Beyond Benzodiazepines group session, a program for those struggling with problematic benzodiazepine use. Stuart first took alprazolam, also known by its brand name Xanax, in 2018 following the end of an abusive relationship and the death of her best friend.
“I didn’t know how bad the withdrawal from Xanax would be,” Stuart said. “I went cold turkey and on the seventh day, I had seizures. That is what first brought me to Cooper. They gave me Xanax to wean me off and a doctor from Addiction Medicine came to me and explained the program.”
This is what led Stuart to Rachel Ehrgood, the Center for Healing’s creative wellness facilitator. Ehrgood came to the Center in 2020 after leadership saw her work in Philadelphia using art to facilitate healing. Ehrgood built the creative wellness program in the Center for Healing and has helped patients express themselves in waiting rooms, exam rooms, and group therapy.
“Our motto is ‘Embrace Wholeness,” Ehrgood said. “It’s a real honor to help our patients utilize their voices and express themselves. They are tremendous people who just need space, supplies, and good conversation to access outstanding insights and abilities”
As for Stuart, the art on the mobile unit wasn’t easy to paint. It required encouragement from Ehrgood to keep going and her encouragement made it to the canvas.
“I love [Ehrgood]. I was struggling in the beginning, but her aura and energy is just awesome. She was so encouraging,” Stuart said. “Even though she had to talk me into it, it was so nice when I looked at the finished painting. I fell in love with it. I was like ‘I did this.’ I became more certain of myself knowing that I can do it.”
Now, Stuart operates a small business crafting and selling a variety of custom accessories and she’s been tapped to assist the Creative Wellness program at the Center. In her personal time, she still paints.
“Creating art removes the urge to use again. It calms my nerves. It calms my heart, my soul,” Stuart said. “When it’s on the wall, it’s like I’m worth something. It’s like I’m being seen.”
